A man fell into an abandoned well on the north end of Lake Elsinore Thursday, requiring firefighters to mount a rescue operation to pull him to safety.
The confined space emergency was reported about noon near the intersection of Lake and Mountain streets, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The victim, whose name and age were not released, tumbled into the uncovered empty 100-foot deep underground well in view of witnesses, who called 911.
Five engine crews and two truck companies were sent to the location and initiated an inaccessible rescue plan that called for use of earthmoving equipment.
"It's going to be an extended operation,'' agency spokeswoman Jody Hagemann told City News Service.
The rescue effort was still underway as of 2 p.m. but eventually, crews were able to extricate the man from the well and taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Sheriff's deputies closed Lake Street between Alberhill Ranch Road and Mountain to allow crews to maneuver equipment without interfering with traffic.
