TIRUCHY: While the rescue operations to bring out Sujith Wilson, the two-year-old boy who fell into an abandoned borewell in a village in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli district, continued for the fourth consecutive night, investigations conducted by the rescue officials revealed that the boy was initially trapped just 5-feet away.
According to officials, while the incident occurred around 4.15 pm on Friday, the Fire and Rescue Department received a distress call only by 5.45 pm.
District Collector, S Sivarasu, said, "The boy was initially trapped at a depth of 5 feet. Instead of informing the rescue officials, they tried rescuing him. This led to the boy sliding down further and settling at a point around 18 feet".
The officials claim three neighbouring families tried to rescue the boy initially, but with the boy starting to slide further down, they decided to call the department for help.
"After the call was received, the Fire and Rescue team was rushed to the spot. From October 25, the boy has settled in 8 different heights till now. He is currently at 88 feet."
Officials claim the initial delay impacted the rescue process in a big way.
"We will continue the rescue work, but that initial time could have given us ample opportunities with the boy conscious and talking," said a senior Fire and Rescue official.
With all efforts being made to stop the boy going further down the hole, officials confirm that irrespective of the speed, the drilling work will continue.
"We will continue the rescue process until we reach the boy," J Radhakrishnan, Revenue Principal Secretary said.