Newnan man rescued from 30-foot well

NEWNAN, Ga. — A Coweta County man is recovering after he fell 40-feet down an abandoned well Tuesday morning.
 
Coweta County firefighters pulled 43-year-old Roger Howard out of the well after he fell in while remodeling a home on Doc Perry Road in Newnan.
 
"I was working on the porch and I was tearing the floor up," said Howard.  "When I did, I didn't know the well was there and just fell through it."
 
Homeowner Brittany Bloodworth said she and her husband hired Howard to help repair the old home.  She said she was speaking to him when he walked to the far end of the porch and suddenly fell through it.
 
"It just happened so fast," said Bloodworth.  "It was unreal.  Just panic set through my mind. Is he alive?  Is he dead?"
 
Firefighters said Howard broke his fall down the well but not before suffering facial, shoulder and back injuries on some concrete near the well top.
 
Bloodworth called 911 and the Coweta County Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team responded.  The firefighters built a tripod and lowered one of their own down into the well.  They were able to secure Howard and haul him up.
 
"I would be apprehensive and I'm sure he was pretty anxious in the well," said Assistant Chief Jeff Denney. "But he seemed stable and pretty calm throughout."
 
Bloodworth said she heard Howard singing a song while down in the well.  Howard remembers singing, but doesn't remember the tune.  He just remembers how happy he was when they rescued him.
 
"I just said Lord have mercy," said Howard.  "It's all I could say.  I was fortunate to come out as lucky as I did."
 
Howard suffered severe facial lacerations along with hairline fractures of his shoulder blade and spine.

WSBTV