Boy falls nearly 30 feet into a pipe. Firefighters use seat from swing set to rescue him.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A young boy who fell into a pipe in Indiana was rescued using the seat from a swing set, firefighters say.

The 5-year-old was rescued Thursday night an hour and a half after 911 dispatchers received a report about his fall. Evansville firefighters say he was conscious and alert the entire time.

Rescuers had trouble communicating with the boy, who fell nearly 30 feet. According to Evansville Fire Department, the narrow entrance to the well – about 16 inches in diameter – also made it difficult for firefighters to get to the child.

After several other ideas failed, emergency crews decided to lower a swing seat to the boy. He was told to straddle the seat while crews pulled him to safety.

The 5-year-old was upset but unhurt except for scrapes and bruises, according to Evansville Fire Department Chief Administrative Officer Mike Larson.

Rescued: Boy falls 27 feet into Indiana sewer drain

“A 30-foot free-fall is really different than a 30-foot fall down a pipe," Larson said. "As he was going down the pipe, it was slowing him down. It wouldn’t have been as accelerated of a fall as if he had fallen off a building or something like that.”

Emergency responders pumped air into the pipe while the boy was underground to keep oxygen levels from getting low.

While fire officials originally identified the structure as a storm drain, Evansville Water and Sewer Utility clarified Friday that it was actually a well or pipe and not part of the city's infrastructure. EWSU director Allen Mounts said the structure was part of an industrial complex.

It was not clear how the 5-year-old got into the well in the first place or whether the well was covered.

The pipe, located at the edge of a parking lot, was left by a company that used to own the property, according to Larson. The boy appeared to fall in while watching fireworks with a group of people in the parking lot Thursday night.

The well had water in it when the child fell, causing concern that he might get hypothermia. Larson said the water reached about to the boy's waist.

During the rescue Thursday night, crews tried lowering police officers and firefighters to the boy but could not fit an adult into the narrow pipe. Rescuers tried to use a rope to lift the boy as well, but had difficulty getting the 5-year-old to understand what he needed to do.

Larson said the boy's mother was nearby the entire time while emergency responders were trying to rescue him, but all the adults on-scene had trouble communicating with the distressed child.

After the 5-year-old was rescued, EWSU officials covered the pipe and anchored the cover with a concrete block. By Friday afternoon, a new cover had been welded in place.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Boy falls nearly 30 feet into a pipe. Firefighters use seat from swing set to rescue him.