A 4-year-old boy was rescued unharmed after being trapped in a dry well for hours Monday evening.

Gabe Allbritton and his dog were trapped about 23 feet down a hole that had an 18-inch opening, according to Lincoln County Emergency Management Coordinator Clifford Galey. He fell into the hole at 2116 Gene Road at about 5 p.m. Crews removed the boy at about 8:05 p.m. The dog was pulled out minutes later. The dog had been missing for about a week.

Rescuers cheered loudly when the boy was pulled out safely. He was immediately loaded into a waiting ambulance and taken to the hospital but was uninjured.

“I just can’t say enough about what everybody did to get this little boy out of that well safe,” Galey said.

Galey said the boy heard the dog barking while walking through the yard, turned around and then disappeared into the hole.

Rescuers were finally able to get ropes under his arms and pulled him straight out, Galey said. Rescuers used a snare to get the dog out.

“He’s cold, he’s dirty and he’s hungry,” Galey said. “And we promised him a ride on a fire truck and we’re going to give that to him before we leave here tonight.”

“It was troubling that the child was down in the well and we couldn’t get to him,” Galey said.”We were planning what we we

re gonna do if we couldn’t get him out — if the rope didn’t work we had heavy equipment there on hand to trench it and get him out and that would’ve taken until into today.”

Galey said the boy was well and talking with rescuers throughout the ordeal. He wasn’t stuck on anything but rescue personnel had trouble reaching him, Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said. Crews sent water down to keep the child hydrated.

Rescue crews from McComb, Hattiesburg and Jackson were called in. A host of Lincoln County volunteer firefighters were also on the scene during the incident. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the

state Fire Marshall were part of the rescue effort.

“The outcome of this one was great but it could’ve been much worse,” Galey said. “And I can’t thank enough all of the people that responded, the emergency services — I know I’d miss one so I can’t name them all — and plus the private contractors there to help it was an awesome turnout.”

Galey advised anyone with an abandoned well to cover it or mark it so that anyone or anything can’t fall into it.