Sujith Wilson dies in Tamil Nadu borewell: How rescue operations unfolded

Sujith Wilson rescue: How operations were conducted in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy

October 25: The operation to rescue Sujith began around 6 pm on October 25. Initially, the child was trapped at a depth of 27-feet inside the borewell, which is just four meters wide. A fire brigade team and a medical team from Manapparai rushed to the spot. Around 8.30 pm, five JCBs were deployed for the rescue operation.

Tourism Minister N Vellamandi Natarajan, Tiruchirapalli Collector S Sivarasu and other police officials also reached the spot as soon as news spread of the incident. With the help of the JCB, the rescue team began to dig a parallel hole. Oxygen was supplied into the borewell through cylinders to keep the child in brisk health.

After some 20 feet, the team stopped digging after it hit a rocky terrain. The rescue team sent a camera through the hole inside the borewell and assured that the child was alive and showing some movement. Sujith responded to his mother’s call who told him not to be afraid and she would lift him quickly.

Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar and other AIADMK functionaries and government officials monitored the proceedings.

Later that night, special robotic devices were brought in by experts. They tried to rescue the child using ropes amid sand sediments. They managed to get one hand of the child but struggled get hold of the other. Multiple attempts by the experts proved futile as the knots began to fall apart when they attempted to lift the child. Sujith further slipped to a depth of more than 80 feet.

Also read | ‘Killer’ borewells: Instances where children died, rescued from open pits

October 26: After the rescue team’s efforts to life the boy through ropes failed to materialise, the team went back to the traditional method of digging a secondary hole. Around 9.50 am on October 26, Health minister Vijaya Baskar said no breathing sound of the child was heard after 5.30 am earlier that day.

“We could not hear the breathing sound after 5:30 am. More oxygen is being pumped into the borewell, we are hoping that the child will be rescued soon,” he had said.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) took over the rescue operations later on Saturday. Officials confirmed that the child was alive and the oxygen supply was being continuously been offered to the child.

Anna University developed special thermal device was used to monitor the child’s temperature. The child was pinned in place using air suction and oxygen was supplied continuously. The officials claimed that six expert teams have been deployed for the rescue operation. Deputy Chief Minister O Pannerselvam, Congress MP Jothi Mani visited the spot and consoled Sujith’s parents.

October 27: Around 2.30 am, rig equipment from ONGC reached Nadukattupati. Around 6 am, the rig began to dig a 110-feet-deep hole about six-feet away from the borewell. The operation was earlier suspended after the vehicle carrying the rig developed a snag.

Sujith with his father Britto Arokiyaraj, mother Kala Marry and his elder brother.

Approximately, after seven hours of drilling at a depth of 40 feet, the rigging machine struggled to penetrate due to the hard nature of the soil. J Radhakrishnan, Principal Secretary (Revenue), said the authorities would be using a high-power drilling machine (second rig) — three times more powerful than the previous one. The rig was brought from Ramanathapuram to the rescue spot around 5 pm later that day.

After close to seven hours of drilling, the second machine, which is capable of digging 509 mm per hour, managed to dig only 10 feet due to the rocky nature of the soil and persistent rainfall. After a rescue personnel inspected the hole that was dug to save Sujith, the authorities decided to rope in a private boring machine to drill three holes.

A 1200-horsepower private boring machine was installed to break through the rocks and cross the 45-feet mark which had been dug by the ONGC rig. Once the three holes are dug up to 110 feet, the second rig will widen the pit, following which a dozen firemen are expected to go out in pairs and dig a passage to the borewell to pull Sujith out.

October 28: The Tamil Nadu Commissioner of Revenue Administration added that that the rescue operations in Nadukattupatti were very challenging, given the rocky terrain. “We are working very carefully so that we do not harm the child,” he said. The authorities are also planning to use air-filters to remove the sand engulfing into the toddler’s body.

Showers started to come down heavily on the rescue area. The borewell drilling machine to help cut through the rocks came to an end. Officials used the ONGC rigs to enlarge the three holes. Despite repeated warnings, the public started to gather in large numbers near the rescue area causing hindrance to the operation.

October 29: Sujith Wilson is declared dead by officials. PTI quoted the Tamil Nadu Commissioner of Revenue Administration as saying his body was “dismembered” and in a “highly decomposed” state.