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AP
An Amber Alert was canceled for Samuel Jones on Sunday.
Crews pulled the body of a 4-year-old boy from a narrow, 30-foot-deep hole in Carlsbad, N.M. early Monday, nearly two days after he disappeared while playing outside his home next door, state police said.
Crews reached the boy about 7 a.m. Monday and police spokesman Robert McDonald confirmed the body was Samuel Jones.
He lived in the house next door with his parents and two older siblings, a boy and girl ages 6 and 7, said Carlsbad police spokeswoman Lt. Jennifer Moyers.
Some young cousins were at the house Saturday when the boy was last seen playing in the yard.
The rural neighborhood is a mix of homes and vacant lots. A 4-foot-high chain link fence separates the boy's home from his neighbor's where the hole is located in the backyard. It's possible Samuel could have climbed the fence and simply fallen into the hole, which was dry, Moyers said.
Samuel was reported missing Saturday evening, which prompted authorities to launch a search and issue an Amber Alert.
A renewed house-to-house search had just started shortly after daybreak Sunday morning when a detective found the 14-inch-wide hole, Moyers said.
Efforts to recover the body began Sunday afternoon after a detective shined his flashlight down and saw what appeared to be a boy dressed in clothing Samuel was last wearing. Searchers later sent a camera down the hole and confirmed a child was about 30 feet down. Temperature and oxygen levels were later taken and showed no signs of life.
The Amber Alert in effect for him was canceled Sunday night.
A large tracked excavator was used in the recovery along with metal shoring typically used in pipeline construction projects. A specialized search and rescue team from Roswell oversaw the operations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
Leave a Comment:
This story is so sad. Alot of kids fall down old abanded wells every year. Prayers for the family.
My prayers go out to this little boys parents and family.
I wonder though, why they made a point to mention there are no curbs or sidewalks in the neighborhood. I have no curb or sidewalk either. That's very common in small towns and rural areas. I don't get the significance.
wth was there a big giant hole??
@impatient girl, please take the time to read the comment you are posting on, even though you are obviously too impatient and sound severely misinformed.
Thoughts and prayers with the family over this terrible incident and hope they can someday find peace!
Why would anyone leave such a hazard in the back yard? Just because the yard is fenced doesn't eliminate the hazard. I hope the owner gets sued.
I do not understand how people can leave abandoned wells like this uncovered. There have been far too many cases of small children falling down these abandoned wells. There should be a law requiring the proper decommissioning of these wells either by installing a locked grate over the top or by filling in or otherwise plugging the well opening. Leaving an open hole in the ground like this is pure negligence and needs to be stopped. It would take very little effort or expense to properly seal these abandoned wells and prevent tragedies like this from occurring
Mike0578,
The story does not say why the hole was there. The story does not say what kind of hole it was. impatient girl asked a legitimate question.
The article stated that the hole was 14 inches wide. Fourteen inches is a very small hole, but maybe impatient girl was too impatient in school to learn measurements.
@economykiller I agree this story does not state the purpose or past purpose of the hole (hoping the property owner did not know about the hole), but it was stated in other sources other than MSNBC and using common sense. I am not saying that impatient girl should be reading every article ever written or be a well expert/hole expert, but they should read the comment they are replying to before submitting their opinions.
Godspeed to the crew.
So sorry for the parents, and I hope the little guy did not suffer and passed quickly. Poor kid, what a tragedy.
Rest in Peace sweet angel. Condolences to the family & friends. I don't understand why these deep wells aren't sealed after using. It's so senseless to see a child lose their life like this.
I agree with your comment. Anybody who leaves a 14 inch wide hole 30 foot deep uncovered should be charged with something. Just a big rock would have saved this little boy's life. This is negligence due to laziness and lack of common sense.
I would like to echo your sentiment, Kat. A 14-inch opening is small enough that covering could have been placed over it.
Just backfill with slurry if no longer in service. Not that hard to abandon a well.
4ft tall fence around his yard.
Parents that let their kids climb fences into someone else's yard should be charged.
Ron, are you a parent? If you are you would know that children will climb tree's, fences, etc. It was an accident plain and simple. No one is to blame here. The hole was probably covered over by tall grass or ground covering. So please keep your heartless comments to yourself. It was a tragic accident and may God bless this family in their loss. Poor little boy........
Bunkie11, Can you understand anything you read?
I was letting the person know that posted this,
That the parents were (just as much) at fault by posting this,
It may be hard for you to understand the meaning of the comparison of the two,
when you do not comprehend something you should ask questions before rushing to judgment.
If the hole was checked to begin with the boy maybe would alive today. Searchers looking everywhere but the obvious .
What a terrible thing to say. You have no clue as to the condition of the child after a 30 foot fall or the visibility of a 14 inch hole in the backyard of the house next door.
If your father had used proper safe sex we wouldn't be subjected to your pointless rants. Thats about as much as you added with your insensitive comments about the searchers and the family.
It didn't sound like anyone knew about the hole. I am sure the parents didn't, or they probably would have trespassed to cover the hole themselves.
SO SAD i am praying for his family, RIP lil one
It concerns me that there is a random 30ft. deep hole in the neighbors yard. Makes absolutely no sense.
Sometimes there are old wells that have been covered over w/ topsoil. Sometimes there are old septic systems that people don't know about. Sometimes sinkholes just develop.
They keep calling it just a "hole", not a well or drain. And seeing as it's in Carlsbad, it makes me think it might be a natural hole, perhaps linked to the cave system there.
I can't imagine having a hole like that on my property and not closing it. Poor child!! RIP..
Chris,
"They keep calling it just a "hole", not a well or drain."
A 14" diameter does seem a bit small for a well. It's a tragic story. Poor little boy!
Sometimes, you can't "close" holes. They just keep re-opening. My parents have one they have filled several times with stone & after a few years the stone settles somewhere & the hole re-opens. They have a fence around it.
And the well that baby Jessica fell down was 8".
So did this neighbor.
"There are no curbs or sidewalks in the neighborhood on the city's south side."
What does that have to do with anything? Portland Oregon requires dry wells to on developed property if it is possible. They prefer that the property not drain storm water into the city's storm water system. And guess what? They have curb and sidewalks.
Your comment makes no sense with whats going on here.....A childs life was taken and your talking about property regulations.
Well, I was wondering why they told us there were no curbs or sidewalks, too. Don't see what that has to do with the story.
@Julie,
I thought that was kinda weird. I wonderful if there are any telephone poles or fire hydrants??
It was an answer to an obvious question: Why were'nt the children playing somewhere safe? There are no curbs or sidewalks in the area...
Not so obvious to me. You mean to say if a neighborhood had curbs and sidewalks, the child should have been playing there, and no in a fenced in back yard? I too found the reference at the end of the article strange.
So very heartwrenching to lose a child...my prayers go out to his parents.
Diane, it is called a dry well and it is use to drain storm water into such as from the roof gutters. It has to go deep enough to deal with the calculated storm water run-off. They normally have a cover over them. Places that can expect massive rain in short periods of time use them so the run-off does not cause additional erosion where people can't hook into a storm water utility system.
Rest in Peace.
HOw devestating for the family. My prayers are with them. And before any of you start criticizing them for nelect, just keep in mind that your children are not attached at the hip. You cannot keep an eye on them every second. This is a terrible accident and it makes me sad how much he must have sufferred before passing away. But I know that he is playing in heaven's playground right now.
sorry for the family...boys will be boys...my condolances
So sad, however a 4 year old climbs a 4 foot fence?? Okay I will ask , who was watching him?? Terrible outcome.
Yes, a 4 year old could climb a 4 foot fence. At least my 4 year old grandson could. And pretty quickly too.
Not every child can be watched twenty-four hours a day. Parents have to sleep, go to the bathroom, etc. And, no matter how carefully you childproof doors and windows, some children are natural escape artists. I know I was. At two I figured out the hook and eye that was three feet over my head (with a yardstick) and ran out of the house....naked. At four I climbed the scaffolding (without a ladder) up to the second story of the house where the new roof was being put on.
Simple fact; no matter how careful you are, no matter how much you plan to avoid all the bad things in the world, accidents happen.
I just hope the parents don't spend the rest of their lives blaming themselves. They have two children still who need them.
I am sorry, but parents do not sleep with a 4 year old up and outside. Spare us what you did at 4, if your that irresponsible then this stuff happens.
RIP lil buddy.........Prayers for the family. So sad :(
Charlie, do you have your eyes on all your kids 100% of the time. Article said that there were several kids in the yard and that does not mean they were all in a group unless it was a tiny yard. a 4 year old can climb a 4 foot chain link fast. I know because I did it while my mom was not looking at me because she was glancing at my siblings.
Perhaps Charlie doesn't realise how hateful his remarks would be if this family should happen upon them. Hindsight is always 20/20 and it only takes an instant for a child to run next door or a couple of houses away. That's how close this child was to his home. Unfortunately, this time it would seem it was fatal.
Some blame the mother for everything. It must always be someone's fault, however, let me remind everyone of the definition of accident:
ac·ci·dent [ak-si-duh nt] noun 1. an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap
The autopsy will show what happened to this little boy. It's bad enough they've lost their child without strangers assigning blame on top of their tragedy.
So sad to hear this! Our thoughts and prayers go out to the boys family.
This is so sad. I can't imagine how devastating this is for his family. Poor little guy :(
New info from scene. Body will be recovered within the hour. Crews are now using hand tools to reach him.
As emergency responder on scene all day yesterday, I can say that it was a grueling ordeal knowing he was there and we could reach him.
Thank you for the effort, showing the family that people do care. May they be comforted by those who care.
Thanks for your work; what a sad outcome for the child and his family. Prayers for them all from ABQ.
Thanks for the update and for your hard work. You're a hero.
Poor little guy - unless he was knocked unconscious from the fall, he was probably so scared. It breaks my heart for the family. And Charlie, you can be watching your kids diligently and one will invariably find a way to sneak off in the blink of an eye. It's not fair to blame the parents until indisputable evidence is found of foul play.
It could be a sink hole, an old hand dug well, a fisher, etc. The neighbor may not have known that small hole was there. Im sorry that the parents are going through this. I pray they find some solice.
14"x30' deep?
Fissure.
So sad for all, the poor child, his family, neighbors and EMS people. No blame just sadness.
I do not have any holes in my yard but I do have a fence around it. My problem is with kids climbing in to retreive a ball etc. Just last week I had to yell at about a 10 year old who was climbing the fence. They can and do damage my fence.
RIP little guy.
...then get off your arse and throw the ball back over
Mistycloud,
You poor sou!! I can't believe you have had to deal with a 10 year old coming in your yard to retrive a ball.
Wow! You seem like a real nice person.
A child dies by falling in a hole and you are complaining about a 10 year old climbing your fence because he may do damage to the fence???
wow that is such a huge problem you have. how do you find the will to go on? it must be heartbreaking to see that glorious fence of yours getting desecrated by those 10 year old fence hooligans.
Misty,
That sounds like a first world problem to me.
Because children are replaceable, while fences aren't?
What level of heartless are you Misty?
Please tell me where you live, so I can make sure my son never goes near your house. I don't want you shooting at him with a BB gun for inconveniencing you.
She said she yelled at the kid not shot at the kid, maybe she has a pool.
She may have saved the kid from harm, where were the kids parents.
MistyCloud, missing the point. The thread is about a child lost to death, not your damaged fence.
For those getting after Missy, why are those kids not going up to her door to ask if they can enter her yard to retrieve their ball or other play things, poss. frisbie and such? I think, and I can't presume to speak for her, that she may have been trying to let others know that kids will and do climb fences, kids of all ages. When my oldest was about 3 he climbed our chain link fence and went for a walk about. I think he thought he had gotten away with it until I caught him walking back to the house covered in weeds.
And before others go off on me for adding my two cents, I lost my youngest child almost 6 months ago so I do understand what these parents are going through. The 'what ifs' the 'could of', 'should of', the 'why didn't I do this' or 'why didn't I just do that differently'. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and this little boys siblings. It is a very hard thing to lose your child. Parents shouldn't have to outlive their children. I know that they would rather have their child back.
I would give anything to have just one more hug or kiss or to hear my youngest tell me that they love me once more. And I bet that this little Angel's family would give anything to have that, too.
Yes, it's a tragedy. Yes, we parent's cannot watch our children 24/7, as much as we may want too. And yes, sadly, accidents can, will and do happen. Prayers, condolences and my thoughts are with this family and friends of the family. <\3 So sad :`(
I know she didn't say she shot at the kids. However, her concern for her fence leaves me to believe she wouldn't hesitate to do something moronic.
"Where were the kids parents?" When you were 10, did your parents watch you every second of the day? Did you never explore your neighborhood with your friends? Come on guy, I remember when I was 10, my mom had to practically hog tie me to stay inside, especially during the summer.
The parents SHOULD teach their kids to respect other peoples properties. Misty should talk to the parents, not yell at the kids. Who is the adult in this situation????
puhhleeez09- I am so very very sorry for your loss. I can't imagine your pain.
was such a sad day in town yesterday and will continue to be, as of 7am this morning he was pronounced dead. my heart goes out to the Jones' family and thank everyone in our community who dedicated their time and efforts on this rescue.
Our prayers are with your community.
How hard is it to just not dig a 30 foot deep hole in your yard?
Who said anyone dug it? It could have been a naturally occurring sinkhole.
UDunnoBro, did you notice this was in Carlsbad, where all the caverns and naturally occurring caves exist? If this is a fissure it's an act of God and no one knew it existed.
Let's wait until we know the rest of the story.
To all of you having a cow about God or Jesus being a part of this. You aren't very smart. Wouldn't want to be in your shoes later. No, by no means do I believe that God makes these terrible things happen to us. I think that sometimes things just happen and if God is ready for you then he does not step in. If God does have a greater purpose for someone then he does step in just as he can. I don't think anyone could believe for a minute that such a loving God would do such awful things to anyone. He just does not step in. I lost my son 3 yrs ago tomorrow to cancer at 21 yrs old. Do I think God did this? Of course not, but he did allow it to happen because he obviously was ready for my son. You see, believing this makes it easier for us to handle so if we do happen to be wrong, that's OK because that's what works for us and helps us to make it through it. I don't think anyone here on earth knows the true RIGHT way to believe anyway. Some of you people have anger issues and probably shouldn't be posting at all. This is bad enough without you trying to bring people down even more. Shame on you.
J5nall, I'm sincerely sorry for your loss. The loss of a child is the worst thing that can happen in anyone's life, without question. In my family we have known this special sorrow, too. When I come across anyone who has experienced this sadness I tell them this story.
There's a Chinese parable that tells of a man who climbed a mountain to ask a wise man the secret of happiness. When he got to the top of the mountain at last, he asked the wise man to share with him what he'd learned from a lifetime of mediation on the mountain. The wise man said, 'Grandfather die, father die, son die.' The man became distressed and angry and shouted, 'What? I came all the way to the top of this mountain and that's all you tell me? That's ridiculous! Grandfather die! Father die! Son die! You can't be serious! It can't be that simple! I demand that you tell me the secret to happiness AT ONCE, or I'll report you to the authorities!'
The wise man took no notice of the fellow's expostulations. He smiled sadly and asked, 'Would you have it any other way?'
The people who have posted negative things are likely young and are trolling. The best thing to do with their posts is to report them. Do you know how to do that?