A devastating tragedy struck Rajasthan’s Dausa district as a 57-hour rescue operation to save a five-year-old boy, Aryan, from a 150-foot borewell ended in heartbreak. Aryan, who fell into the borewell while playing in Kalikhad village on Monday around 3 PM, was pronounced dead after being pulled out by rescue teams.
The massive rescue effort began an hour after Aryan’s fall, involving teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local authorities, and volunteers. Heavy machinery, including JCB excavators, drilling machines, and a piling rig, was deployed to dig a parallel tunnel. Oxygen was supplied to Aryan through a pipe, and CCTV cameras were used to monitor his condition, though visibility was severely hampered by steam underground.
Rescue teams faced numerous challenges during the operation. The borewell’s water level, estimated to be around 160 feet, posed a significant risk. Additionally, the steam and narrow confines of the borewell made it difficult to capture Aryan’s movements on camera, complicating the rescue effort. “Safety concerns for both the boy and the rescue personnel were paramount,” NDRF officials told news agency PTI.
When Aryan was finally pulled out of the borewell on Wednesday evening, he was found to be unconscious. A green corridor was promptly created to rush him to a hospital in an ambulance equipped with an advanced life support system. Despite the medical team’s best efforts, Aryan was declared dead upon arrival, marking the tragic conclusion of the rescue operation.
The incident has cast a shadow of grief over Kalikhad village, sparking renewed concerns about the dangers posed by uncovered borewells in rural India. Similar incidents have occurred in the past. In September, a two-year-old girl was successfully rescued after an 18-hour operation in the Bandikui area of Dausa. She had been trapped at a depth of 28 feet in a 35-foot borewell, and rescue teams employed similar techniques to save her life.
The heartbreaking loss of Aryan has reignited calls for stricter regulations and enforcement to ensure borewells are safely covered or sealed. The community in Kalikhad mourns the young boy, while authorities are urged to take preventive measures to avoid future tragedies.