A young Cuban who saved a man's life last Sunday after he fell into a well in Mantua, Pinar del Río, stated that he had never done anything like this before.
The incident occurred in the coastal community of Arroyos de Mantua, where a local resident decided to descend into a 25-meter well to clean it. Once at the bottom, the lack of oxygen caused him to become disoriented and lose consciousness. Five more minutes could have been fatal.
After receiving a distress call, a team from the Border Guard Troops and the Special Destination Unit of the Ministry of the Interior responded. Once on the scene, 25-year-old officer Abel Martínez Fiallo did not hesitate to tie a rope around himself and descend into the well.
At the bottom, already without oxygen and suffering from hypothermia, was Lázaro Iglesias Valdés. The young officer tied a rope around his chest, just below his arms, and signaled to his team members above to pull them up.
Rescue Mission: A Race Against Time
"The man had gone down to clean the well. At that depth, oxygen is scarce, and not everyone can descend that far. In fact, during the rescue, I felt the air thinning at around 10 or 12 meters. But it was a race against time," he told Juventud Rebelde.
"When we brought him up, they administered first aid and transported the injured man to the clinic. People applauded; his daughter was there, as well as other family members. I've never done anything like this before, and it turned out well. I managed to save a man's life," he added.
Martínez Fiallo, who is married and the father of a one-year-old boy, recounts that "as soon as my mother found out, she called me, proud."
He was also subjected to medical examinations after coming out of the well and took his heroic act in stride. "I did what had to be done in those circumstances; otherwise, a man, a father, would have died," he expressed.
FAQs on the Well Rescue in Pinar del Río
This section addresses some common questions about the heroic rescue in Pinar del Río, where a young Cuban officer saved a man from a well.
Who was the officer involved in the rescue?
The officer involved in the rescue was Abel Martínez Fiallo, a 25-year-old from the Border Guard Troops.
What caused the man to lose consciousness in the well?
The man lost consciousness due to the lack of oxygen at the bottom of the 25-meter well.
How did the community react to the rescue?
The community applauded the rescue, and the man’s family members, including his daughter, were present and grateful.