Boy found dead in abandoned well after 100-hour rescue

SHIJIAZHUANG - A Chinese boy was finally found dead in an abandoned well in north China's Hebei Province on Thursday night after over 100 hours of desperate rescue.
Wu Sujie, a rescue official, said the boy was found without signs of life.

The boy, 6, fell down the 80-meter-deep dry well in Lixian County, Baoding City, on Sunday morning, when helping harvest vegetables with his father. His father put out a call for help on the social-networking app Wechat and rescuers and the public rushed to the scene to help in any way they could.

Over 500 rescuers and some one hundred excavators were involved in the rescue operation.

As the 30 centimeter-diameter well was too narrow for any adult to climb into, rescuers dug out the well to try and reach the boy.

The rescue had been hampered by the soft sandy soil, which is prone to collapse. Measures were taken to support the shaft during the excavation.

During the past days, many members of the public have volunteered to help the rescue by donating food and money. Locals also rushed to the scene to prepare food for the rescue team.
The story is being widely shared and discussed across the Internet, and live-broadcasts from the scene are also being streamed.