Prince Kumar

Prince Kumar, became famous in India when he was successfully rescued from a 60-feet deep and 16 inch wide borewell after a 50 hour ordeal shown live on major news channels in India. Prince, who was six on the day of his rescue, had been playing near the irrigation shaft on July 21, 2006 when he fell through an empty sack which shielded the entrance to the 60ft hole. He plunged to the bottom of the well, which is just wide enough to take a child but too narrow for an adult.

Prince Kumar spent 50 hours in the hole before he was rescued by Indian Army personnel of "65 Engineers regiment" with the help of Indo-Tibetan border police, civilians and local law enforcement agencies.

Media Coverage
The rescue effort was shown live on all major news channels in the country and was criticized by some as a media circus. The incident was reminiscent of the highly popularized 1987 rescue of an 18-month old baby, Jessica McClure.

Rescue Procedure

Villagers were alerted to his plight only when they heard his wails. Local villagers lowered ropes into the hole to pull him out. Prince was able to hold on to the rope until he was pulled 25 feet up, at which point he slipped from the rope. Although Prince slipped back into the hole from 25 feet he was not injured much since the small diameter of the hole provided gradual descent rather than a free fall.

After the villagers and local police failed to retrieve the boy, they called in the army. For two days, soldiers used their hands to clear mud from a disused well 10 metres from the shaft, careful not to use heavy machinery that might dislodge loose soil.

Meanwhile, news networks beamed haunting images of the child to viewers worldwide. Zee News began covering the story on Saturday, July 22, 2006 and soon millions were captivated. Throughout that night, concerned viewers bombarded the station’s offices with messages of sympathy and support. Some children had asked to speak to Prince.

From the morning of July 23, 2006 most news television channels in India scrapped their schedules to follow the rescue effort live as soldiers pumped oxygen down the shaft. Early on the day, Prince could be heard pleading with his father, waiting to be rescued. Later he reassured his father that he was feeling all right, as rescuers sent milk and chocolate, along with biscuits and tea made by his mother.

Once the rescuers reached the required depth, they burrowed towards the shaft, eventually breaking through. They brought the boy back through the tunnel and up the abandoned well to daylight and safety, cheered by well-wishers.

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