Vic man stuck in 15-metre well for hours
A young father found himself in over his head when he got stuck in a 15-metre well and had to be winched to safety.
Search and rescue police and a specialist CFA crew were brought in to help the stricken man, who was trapped for several hours.
The 25-year-old's partner, who was inside the house, did not hear his cries for help.
The alarm was not raised until some time later when, by coincidence, police officers came to visit the Wattle Flat property in relation to another matter.
"They heard some voices and they investigated," Inspector Greg Payne said. "They found a 25-year-old male at the bottom of a 15-metre well."
It was a delicate operation to pull the underground captive to freedom, with more than half-a-metre of thick mud at the bottom of the deep cavity.
"He was very grateful to us and very happy to see us," Inspector Payne said. "The main thing is he's safe."
An ambulance was on standby but the young father was not injured in the fall.
The question remains, 'what was he doing down there?'
"That's our question too," Inspector Payne said. "We're just trying to work that out at the moment."
One theory is he was trying to fix a broken pump.
A number of power tools were fished out of the well.
They were bagged and taken away as evidence.
Police would not comment on their initial reason for visiting the property, saying only that it was part of an ongoing investigation.
The young man has not been arrested or charged but is assisting police with their enquiries.
The hole has been covered to avoid any further mishaps.
