An old man in his 60s fell into a 40-meter-deep deserted well in Al-Wasee'ah town north of Makkah Thursday. Reports said one of the old man's relatives became suspicious when he noticed the man's car and clothes next to the well. He informed the family, which immediately reported the matter to Civil Defense. Rescuers used ropes to descend to the bottom of the well, and brought a large crane to help in recovering the body. There was great difficulty in moving the crane to the area where the well was located due to the rugged terrain and the many earth embankments on the way. A Civil Defense private supplied with an oxygen tank managed to descend into the deep well to find the old man, who had already passed away. A second Civil Defense staff member descended into the well to help carry the body and lift it to ground level. All of this took five hours of hard work. Twenty-five rescue and emergency personnel from the Red Crescent, Civil Defense and police participated in the operation. Sources close to the family pointed out that the old man's psychological state had deteriorated in recent months. The same sources ruled out the existence of any foul play. However, security authorities demanded the intervention of forensic medicine specialists to determine the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it.
