A 60-year-old woman in Kerala's Kollam district survived nearly 20 hours trapped inside an open well during heavy rain. She was rescued after her brother heard her cries for help, with the Fire and Rescue Services overcoming difficult access to pull her to safety.
A 60-year-old woman had a miraculous escape after surviving nearly 20 hours trapped inside an open well in Kerala's Kollam district while enduring continuous spells of rain. The woman, identified as Radhamaniyamma, remained stranded overnight after accidentally falling into the well, with no one aware of her plight. She was finally rescued on Sunday morning after her brother heard her faint cries for help and alerted the authorities.
Woman Falls into Unprotected Well
Radhamaniyamma, a resident of Polikode Rahul Bhavan, had gone to visit her family property in the Mulayarachal Velamanurkonam area when the incident occurred.
She accidentally fell into an open, unprotected well on her brother's property. As the area was deserted, there were no witnesses to the accident. Despite repeatedly calling for help, her cries went unheard throughout the night.
Brother Hears Faint Cries the Next Morning
Radhamaniyamma remained trapped in the well until around 9.15 am the following morning, when her brother, Radhakrishnan, heard faint cries while walking to his nearby farm.
Realising someone was trapped inside the well, he rushed to the spot and discovered his sister. He immediately sought help from a neighbour, Manikandan, and alerted the police and the Fire and Rescue Services. Fortunately, there was only a small amount of water in the well, which prevented her from drowning.
Fire and Rescue Team Overcomes Access Challenge
The Fire and Rescue Services team reached the location promptly but encountered difficulty accessing the well because the approach road was too narrow for their rescue vehicle.
As a result, the team transported their rescue equipment, including a specialised rescue net, in an auto-rickshaw before beginning the operation.
They carefully lowered the rescue net into the well and safely pulled Radhamaniyamma to the surface.
Rescued After an Overnight Ordeal
Radhamaniyamma spent the entire night trapped inside the well, drenched by intermittent rain while desperately calling and praying for help.
The rescue operation lasted about an hour, after which the Fire and Rescue Services team successfully brought her to safety, bringing her terrifying overnight ordeal to an end.


