Someone found the pool.
Rescue crews had to fish a man out of an undiscovered well beneath a historic home in Guilford, Conn., on Sunday, after he fell through the floorboards while helping a friend move in.
The incident happened at a historic home built in 1843, according to the Guilford Police Department. The unidentified victim was helping a new tenant move into the rental property when a wood panel collapsed on the first floor, dropping the man down a 30-foot well into a frigid pool of deep water below.
Officials say the victim suffered only minor injuries after falling “into the abyss” and that he managed to survive by treading water in the frigid well for 25 minutes. Firefighters ultimately descended into the well to pull him out, police said on Facebook.
“The situation could have ended with a fatality but due to the extreme professionalism and capabilities of Guilford Fire Department, everyone went home safely,” police wrote.
The victim was a friend of the person moving into the home, police said.
Police suspect the well was originally outside when the home was built in 1843. However, it appeared to have been improperly covered up when an addition was built onto the home in 1981.
“At some point, this well was covered with simple wood flooring and no subfloor or well cap,” they said.
“He said he went into the water at least 12 feet and didn’t touch (the bottom), so we have no idea how deep it actually is,” police added in a comment.
Several Facebook users applauded the victim for staying afloat and calm enough to wait for rescue.
“I would have died of a panic attack waiting to be rescued,” one woman remarked on Facebook.
“Scary,” added another user. “But look at the workmanship on the well!”
Police said there appeared to have been “some type of hatch that had been hidden” under the floorboards.
Others compared it to creepy wells from fiction, such as the one used by killer Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs or the well that imprisoned the wet-haired ghost in The Ring.
“Great,” one woman said. “All we needed was a demon to be released in 2020.”
It’s unclear whether the new tenant will embrace the new indoor water feature or if the homeowner will find a more permanent way to close it up safely.
Police did not report any creepy videos or spooky sightings at the scene — aside from the handyman’s nightmare below the house.
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