The woman fell into a 30-meter-deep well.

On May 29th, doctors from the Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Burns at Gia Lai Provincial General Hospital (Pleiku Ward, Gia Lai Province) were monitoring and treating injuries sustained by Ms. HTU (born in 1978, residing in Hoi Phu Ward, Gia Lai Province) after she fell into a nearly 30-meter-deep well.

The well where Mrs. U fell down. Photo: Tien Phong.

Still shaken, she recalled being trapped for about six hours in the dark, deep well. Her voice was hoarse as she cried for help throughout the night.

Recalling the incident, Ms. U shared that on the afternoon of May 28th, she visited a construction site being demolished at the intersection of Nguyen Van Linh and Nguyen Viet Xuan streets (Hoi Phu ward) to collect scrap materials. While searching for plastic bottles, she accidentally stepped onto a glass panel loosely covering the well opening and fell straight down.

"When I fell, my foot hit the bottom of the well hard. Luckily, there was water below that was more than half my height, so it reduced the impact force. I was panicked at first, so it didn't hurt, but after a while, I felt a sharp pain from a piece of glass cutting into my right foot," she recounted.

Fumbling in the darkness, she tried to stay calm, clinging to the ladder holes along the well's edge to keep herself afloat while continuously calling for help. She attempted to climb up through the ladder holes but dislocated her shoulder, causing her to fall back into the deep well.

The water grew colder at night, and the lack of air made it difficult for Mrs. U to breathe, but she still tried to call for help.

Authorities rescued the victim. Photo: Tien Phong.

At around 8 PM that same day, some people exercising near the area heard cries for help, rushed to investigate, and discovered Mrs. U. trapped at the bottom of a deep well. Hearing people calling out from the well's opening, Mrs. U. felt reassured. Authorities then safely rescued her.

Dr. Phan Duc Thang, Deputy Head of the Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Burns, said that patient U suffered fractures in three bones of the foot. The doctor treated the wounds, applied plaster casts for stabilization, and continued to monitor the patient's treatment.

Finding and rescuing the victim within about 6 hours is timely. If it lasts overnight or longer than 24 hours, the victim risks respiratory failure, exhaustion, infection, and even life-threatening conditions.