The rescue efforts of five-year-old Ryan Orem, who fell to a well on Tuesday at a depth of c. 30 m near Chapaun in northwestern Morocco, continued today (Saturday). In the last few hours, the rescuers reported that they are closer than ever to the end of the rescue operations, “We have two more meters to dig to reach Ryan and we hope we do not run into any problems,” the head of the rescue team said.
#LIVE: Moroccan rescuers race against the clock to dig and save the young boy #Rayan trapped in a deep well #SaveRayan #our_heart_with_ryan#Save_Ryan
https://t.co/ZKUNzMDWAC
— Arab News (@arabnews) February 5, 2022
According to him, it is difficult to determine the child’s health condition because a camera lowered to the bottom of the bar shows him lying on his side, “we hope we will rescue him alive.” It is also unclear how long the last excavation efforts will take, due to the fear of sand and rock falls. Also, do not know if the child ate, even though food and water were lowered through a rope to him.
Rescue efforts in Morocco (Photo: AFP / AFP via Getty Images)The boy’s father said that “people who love us do not spare the effort to save my child, hope he is rescued today”. A relative of the boy told Reuters that the family first realized he was missing when she heard a muffled cry. “He said in tears ‘Pick me up,'” he said.
In the shadow of the rescue efforts, the hashtag #SaveRayan has become popular among users across North Africa in particular and the Arab world in general and has brought the rescue attempt to the attention of the entire world.