Local media report that the helpers are now very close to the boy. Rayan is very weakened by the fall, but through tubes he was able to drink a few sips of water and eat something. The rescuers are getting closer and closer with excavators, but caution is advised: there is a danger of collapse. On Friday afternoon, the rescue workers are about two meters from the toddler.
It is not certain whether the 5-year-old boy Rayan is still alive. Doctors are on hand to treat the boy if necessary. The Moroccan government said it sympathized with the parents. Special rescue teams are on site, local residents offer each other help and support.
Getting to Rayan via the shaft was not an option: the diameter was only half a meter. A slender 13-year-old boy even volunteered to go downstairs, but rescuers didn’t want to take that risk. “That’s why we started excavating the soil around the shaft. That way we hope to get to the boy,” said rescue worker Abdlhadi Tmrani.
Footage shows how a rescue team tries to reach the boy. Article continues below the video.
Collapse risk
The entire operation is done with the utmost caution, as there is an acute danger of collapse. On Thursday evening, rescuers came within five meters of the boy. They had to dig out the last few meters manually to minimize the risk of collapse.
Because there is little air supply in the deep shaft, the rescuers lowered an oxygen bottle into the well. The boy was also able to drink a few sips of water and eat something through tubes that were lowered.
‘Don’t bat an eyelid’
The boy fell into the well on Tuesday afternoon when his father was repairing it. “I have not slept a wink in recent days,” his father said, according to the French news agency AFP. The boy’s grandmother says that he is much loved throughout the village of Bab Berred.
The rescue operation, which is broadcast live by various Moroccan media, keeps the whole country in suspense. The Arabic-language hashtag #SaveRayan is going viral on social media in North Africa and several celebrities, such as Algerian footballer Riyad Mahrez who plays for Manchester City, are expressing their support.
The accident is reminiscent of a tragedy that occurred in Spain in 2019, when 2-year-old Julen fell into a well 25 centimeters wide and more than 100 meters deep near the village of Totalán. Spain was captivated for about two weeks by the desperate attempts to reach the toddler. Rescuers eventually found his body at a depth of about 70 meters. Julen Rosello’s body was recovered after a 13-day marathon rescue. He appeared to have died just minutes after his fall.