The victim, named as 45-year-old Mr Thaworn Boonorn, was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital after rescue workers pulled him up from out of the bottom of the well, unconsious.
Pol Lt Chonlada Chokdeesrichan of Chalong Police was notified at 10:45am that a worker hired to deepen a well, was thought to have passed out and drowned at the bottom of the well, located in the Patak Villa housing estate in Chalong.
Police arrived to the scene with Ruamjai rescue workers and an emergency medical unit from Vachira Hospital, where they met Mr Surachai Boobsan, 45, who identified himself as a colleague of Mr Thaworn.
Mr Surachai told police that he and Mr Thaworn had been hired to deepen the well, which dried out during the recent dry spell.
Mr Surachai reported that Mr Thaworn had been lowered down into the well to dig the bottom out, but had gone silent after about ten minutes and did not respond to shouts from above, prompting Mr Surachai to call for help.
Pol Lt Chonlada said there was some water in the well, which has a diamtre of about three metres
“When we shone the flashlight into the well, we could see the victim lying on the bottom of the well, unresponsive,” said Lt Pol Lt Chonlada.
Rescue workers were able to lift the unconscious man up and out of the well using ropes and other equipment, and upon surfacing, medical units performed CPR on him before transporting him to hospital.
Doctors said he showed signs of suffocation due to lack of oxygen, and is being monitored closely on life support.
Villa owner, Boonleur Samngamya, 55, concurred that he had hired the workers to deepen the well so as to increase its capacity during the dry spell.
The men were left to work on their own in the front of the house, he said.