Woman falls into hidden well in China, survives 54 hours with broken ribs & snakes crawling over her
A 48-year-old woman from Fujian, China endured a harrowing 54-hour ordeal trapped in a deep, abandoned well, surviving the freezing cold, snake bites, and hunger before finally being rescued.
On Saturday (13 Sept), Ms Qin was out for a walk when she accidentally slipped into a well hidden by tall grass.
The fall caused multiple rib fractures and left her stranded in icy water.
Source: Southern Times via NetEase
When she failed to return home, her family grew concerned and began searching the area on 14 Sept, but their efforts yielded no results.
The situation became more dire with each passing hour, and they were unable to find any trace of her.
Rescuers hear faint cries after days of searching
By the morning of 15 Sept, her family sought help from the local rescue centre.
Search teams scoured the area, combing through thick undergrowth while calling her name.
Around 1.45pm, they finally heard a faint cry for help.
Following the sound, they discovered Ms Qin trapped in the well, hidden beneath a blanket of weeds.
Her pale, swollen hands were gripping cracks in the slippery stone walls as she struggled to keep her head above the freezing water, her lips turning purple from the cold.
Source: Southern Times on NetEase
After an hour-long rescue operation, she was pulled to safety and immediately rushed to the hospital.
‘Several snakes crawled onto me’
Speaking from her hospital bed on 16 Sept, Ms Qin recounted her traumatic experience.
“I kept clinging to the stones, not daring to let go. The most difficult part was when several snakes crawled onto me,” she recalled.
Even when I was bitten, I didn’t move.
Source: NetEase
Ms Qin survived by drinking the well water and using her swimming skills to keep her head above the surface.
She even managed to loosen stones from the well’s walls, creating footholds to keep herself steady.
But the conditions inside the well were harsh: freezing water, mosquitoes, and water snakes made her suffering even worse.
Despite the physical pain, the mental toll was just as overwhelming.
Source: Guangzhou Evening News
She heard people calling for her many times, but her cries were too faint to reach them.
“I felt so desperate that I almost gave up many times,” she said. “But I thought of my 70-year-old mother, my 80-year-old father, and my daughter who just started university.”
If I left, what would happen to them?
Family’s desperate search near the well
Ms Qin’s husband and son had searched the surrounding forest six times, with one search bringing them just three meters from the well.
However, they missed it because the area showed no signs of disturbance, and Ms Qin’s voice couldn’t carry far enough to be heard.
Her son, who had rushed back from Shenzhen, later shared his heartbreak at being so close yet unable to find her.
Source: NetEase
What kept Ms Qin going through the hunger, pain, and cold was sheer determination.
When she finally heard rescuers calling, she said she felt a surge of hope.
“I thought, I’m saved. I shouted: ‘I’m here, I’m here, please help me.'” she recalled.
Woman now in stable condition
Doctors confirmed that Ms Qin had fractured ribs on both sides and suffered mild pneumothorax, or air accumulation near the lungs.
She also had multiple snake and insect bites, though fortunately, none of the snakes were venomous.
Ms Qin is now in stable condition, and doctors expect her to be discharged in a few days.
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Featured image adapted from Southern Times on NetEase and NetEase.
