Child Down a Well

last updated 8 January 2015

Haryana, India

Millions of Indians rejoiced this week after a 5-year-old boy emerged unscathed from the bottom of a 60-foot well. The plight of the boy, known only as Prince, riveted the nation to its TV sets for two days straight. The main television channels canceled all their regular programming to broadcast the rescue effort live. As the rescue team dug into the shaft from the side, cameras showed the scared little boy eating the chocolate and drinking the canned milk that had been lowered down on a rope. Temples and mosques held vigils and special prayer sessions. Politicians from all parties, eager to be seen, crowded the site, badgering rescue workers and, some complained, hampering the recovery.