"Luckily, I knew how to swim and managed to keep my head above water," the 48-year-old woman from Quanzhou said. In the darkness, she clung to the well's wall, wedging stones under her feet to stay afloat.
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Ms. Qin clung to the wall of an abandoned well in Quanzhou, Fujian, from the morning of 13/9 until the afternoon of 15/9. Photo: QQ |
Ms. Qin clung to the wall of an abandoned well in Quanzhou, Fujian, from the morning of 13/9 until the afternoon of 15/9. Photo: QQ
The most terrifying part was when snakes began crawling over her. "I didn't dare move, even when they bit me. When I was thirsty, I drank the well water," she recalled.
Her hands and neck were bitten, her body covered in blisters from mosquito and insect bites, and the well water was icy cold. She repeatedly felt despair and wanted to give up. But the thought of her 80-year-old parents and her daughter who had just started university kept her going.
Upon hearing that his mother was missing, her son, who works in Shenzhen, immediately returned home to join his father in the search. They searched six times over two days, but to no avail.
On the morning of 15/9, the Lam Thien rescue team received a call for help. Team leader Du Xiaohang mobilized 10 people, along with workers from Ms. Qin's factory, to search. At 1:45 p.m., they heard a faint moan. Parting the grass, they were shocked to discover a well opening.
"The scene was terrifying. Ms. Qin was submerged up to her neck in water, her pale hands still clinging to the well wall, her entire body covered in mud," Mr. Du said.
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Ms. Qin being rescued. Photo: QQ |
Ms. Qin being rescued. Photo: QQ
Deputy team leader Wu Jiake immediately descended into the well. "As I approached, I secured her to myself and reassured her, 'You're safe now.' Upon hearing those words, she collapsed against me," he said. After being pulled up, she fainted from exhaustion.
"I was only down there for 40 minutes and I was shivering from the cold. It's a miracle she survived," Mr. Wu shared.
At Quanzhou No. 1 Hospital, Doctor Lin Xianzhuan reported that the patient suffered broken ribs on both sides, a minor pneumothorax, numerous mosquito bites, and non-venomous snake bites. Her condition is now stable, and she is expected to be discharged in a few days.
Bao Nhien (QQ)
