http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/5058159/detail.html?rss=dgo&psp=newsLOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles County firefighters pulled a child from a hole Tuesday afternoon in La Cañada Flintridge. The hole is in a yard at 4203 Lenzgrove Lane. Crews hoisted the 8-year-old boy, who was about 30 feet into the hole, with a rope system.
"I was walking, and I found a hole with a metal thing on it," said James Cornwall. "I just jumped on it and fell in the well. Nobody heard me, then I screamed, 'Mom!' It was really scary. It was dark in there. I couldn't even see." Capt. Larry Collins said crews attached ropes, straps and a harness to a tripod above the hole, then crews used boards to stabilize the base of the tripod.
"They lowered wrist straps down and a chest harness," said Collins. "He put those on and, basically, that helped him rescue himself." Authorities said the hole might be a septic tank or well. They were uncertain of the hole's depth. Firefighters and James' mother were in voice contact with the child throughout the rescue operation. James was in the hole for about 40 minutes.
"He said it was smelly down there," said the boy's father, Jonathan Cornwall. "He said he was in water and hanging on -- hanging on tight. It was very, very scary." Firefighters said James appeared alert. He suffered minor injuries, according to rescuers. Firefighters secured boards over the hole after the rescue.