Rescued teen worked to stay alive after falling down 40-foot well, firefighters say

GAFFNEY, S.C. - Firefighters in South Carolina said a teenager had to tread water and hold onto pipes to keep himself above water and alive after falling down a 40-foot well. 

The fire department in Gaffney said crews were called to Pacolet Highway just before 8 p.m. local time.

When crews arrived, firefighters found a 14-year-old boy working to hold himself above water. They were able to communicate with him to conduct a technical rescue. 

Authorities said firefighters were lowered into the well and were able to extract the teenager at 8:24 p.m. local time without incident. He was then taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

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It’s not known how the teenager ended up in the well. 

"Our firefighters train often for these scenarios, that are not routine but they do happen," the fire department posted on its Facebook page. 

One Facebook user commented that the teen rescued was her grandson and thanked the Gaffney City Fire Department for its efforts. 

This story was reported from Los Angeles.