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Dramatic rescue of 4-year-old boy from Texas well

Garceno, Texas — A 4-year-old boy was rescued from a 44-foot well here early Wednesday morning, reports CBS Brownsville, Texas affiliate KVUE-TV. He fell in while walking with his parents, the station says.

"What was key in the successful outcome of this … was that everybody pitched in — everybody," said assistant Mission Fire Chief Robert Alvarez, noting that four departments raced to the scene. "You saw a sheriff's officer with a shovel helping us move soil … whatever needed to be done." 

The Starr County's Sheriff's Office also called on the McAllen, Edinburg and La Rosita fire departments.  

Alvarez says their jobs weren't completed until 2 a.m., and getting the child out took great care.

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Rescuers work to save 4-year-old boy from well in Garceno, Texas early on December 9, 22020. KVEO-TV

"Any vibration, any wrong strike of a shovel could cause more soil to fall into the hole where the victim was at," he said.

Responders also used special equipment from trench rescue special operations teams. 

"We used what is called a vector truck, (which) is a big truck with a vacuum system on it," said Alvarez. "That's what we used to start taking the dirt out."   

Esmeralda Muniz, from Starr County Sheriff's Office, said the boy fell 9 feet down in the well.

The boy was talking and was listed in stable condition in a nearby hospital, Muniz noted.

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