Portuguese 
Christopher Town was helping to move furniture into a friend’s house in Guilford, Connecticut, in 2020, when the floor collapsed beneath him and he fell into a hidden cistern over 20 feet deep, concealed beneath the floorboards of a home built in 1843. Firefighters used ropes and a life vest to retrieve him.
Christopher Town was helping to move furniture into his friend’s new house in Guilford, Connecticut, when he heard a crack and the wooden floor gave way. He fell almost 30 feet into a hidden well underneath the floor and ended up in cold water. Firefighters had to rig a rope system to get him out.
The information comes from a report by Amanda Jackson of CNN, updated on June 29, 2020, with details from the Guilford Police Department and the Fire Department and an interview with Town conducted by WTIC, a local affiliate. The incident occurred on a Sunday at the house where the friend was moving in, which was built in 1843.
Christopher Town Heard a Crack Before the Floor Gave Way
Guilford Fire Department
-
About 30 Humanoid and Quadrupedal Robots Take to the Streets of Warsaw, Wave Flags, and “Shout” for AI Regulation in a Protest Warning of Job Replacements
-
Farmer in Namibia Discovers World’s Largest Intact Meteorite, Still in Its Original Spot Over a Century Later Without Any Visible Crater
-
Archaeologists Astonished to Open 4,400-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb and Discover Original Colors Preserved, Animal Reliefs, and Two Funeral Chapels for Father and Son in Saqqara
-
In 1940, 17-Year-Old Boy Found a Cave in France with About 2,000 Paintings and Over 6,000 Figures Dating Back Up to 19,000 Years
The Well Was Over 20 Feet Deep, and Town Couldn’t Reach the Bottom
The well was over 20 feet deep and 5 feet wide, according to the Guilford Fire Department. The fall from the house floor to the well was nearly 30 feet, according to CNN.
When firefighters arrived, Town couldn’t touch the bottom of the well and was holding onto the stone wall to avoid sinking, according to authorities.
House was built in 1843, and the well likely was outside
The house where Town’s friend was moving was built in 1843, and the well probably was outside the house at that time, according to the Guilford police. In 1981, the house was expanded and underwent some renovations. By 2020, the house was already 177 years old.
Well was covered with simple wooden flooring, without subfloor or lid
In a Facebook post with images of the rescue, the police explained how the well ended up hidden inside the house. “At some point, this well was covered with simple wooden flooring, with no subfloor or lid,” the police wrote.
Police warn that old houses may have risks that current regulations have not addressed
The police also issued a warning about properties of this type. “It is important to note that some of these old and historic houses may present risks that have not been corrected by existing regulations,” they stated.
Firefighters provided a life vest and used ropes to pull Town from the well
Firefighters gave Town a life vest and set up a rope system to pull him out of the well, according to Guilford authorities.
“They basically saved my life,” says Christopher Town about the firefighters
Town praised the firefighters in an interview with WTIC. “The fire department was incredibly professional. They did a wonderful job and basically saved my life,” he said.
He stated he wasn’t sure if he would have died in the well, but he was already suffering from the cold. “It’s not certain that I would have died down there, but I was getting more and more hypothermic,” he said.
Christopher Town suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital
Christopher Town suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, according to CNN. While sharing images of the rescue on Facebook, the Guilford police noted that it was an incredible rescue and that the accident could have been fatal.
Should old and historic homes undergo inspections before new residents move in, to uncover hidden risks like the well in Guilford? Share your thoughts in the comments.
