This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
On May 22, 2020, a man in Kenya fell into a 60ft borehole while with his elderly mother. Thirteen days later, he was rescued in a dramatic turn of events.
Henry Mugambi's family had been searching for him since his disappearance, visiting the Chuka County Referral Hospital mortuary in the process. They had reported his disappearance to the administration and at Chuka Police Station, but were on the verge of losing hope.
It was a neighbor, John Mwenda, who stumbled upon Mugambi's cries for help. Mwenda was working in a nearby farm when he heard someone calling out. Initially, he thought it was his father, but when he responded, his father said he had not called him.
Undeterred, Mwenda continued with his work, but heard the voice again. This time, the person called him by his name, and when he trailed the direction of the voice, he noticed that the person was calling from the well. The soft voice sounded familiar; it was Mugambi.
Mwenda went close to the well and when he called out, Mugambi responded and asked for some water. A ladder and rope were quickly obtained, and Mugambi was pulled out of the well.
However, Mugambi was very weak, making it difficult for him to hold onto the ladder. When he came out, he asked for water. His body was pale, completely emaciated, and totally confused.
A doctor from Chuka County Referral Hospital was called, and advised the family to give Mugambi a glucose solution and some milk for a few days before introducing him to porridge and later soft food.
The villagers termed the incident as a miracle, and said they would hold a thanksgiving ceremony later.
