crikey...

last couple of days i've finally got around to actually doing something about sorting out the well in my front garden aided and abetted by using AI which is great as it informed me that the existing relic of a an electric pump was not worth the hassle of trying to fix and to replace it with a modern submersible pump. AI works out all the detail; size of pump for the rise of the well, diameter of pipe for the distance i need and the purpose it's very good at stuff like that and saves me from making expensive mistakes.

to get to the pump i removed the wooden shed type pump house i made and put the removable felt roof structure over to one side meaning i had to work from the other side to remove about 150 years of garden debris and bark chippings etc when i come across a large cast iron inspection hatch trap door thingy on the other side of the pump. as i'm clearing away a section of it just crumbles away and crashes to the bottom of the well. zoiks.

now i can see inside the well properly and it is massive, over two metres wide and roughly 10 meters down to the surface of the water from the well head. the trapdoor is rotten to buggery and i remove most of it by just nibbling away at it by hand with work gloves on.

then it dawns on me that if i'd have put that removable roof on the other side i'd 100% would have stood on that rusty hatch and 100% would have gone through it.

here's what would probably have happened...

The Physical Reality of a 10-Metre Well Fall

A 10-metre (33-foot) fall into a confined, 2-metre-wide shaft introduces severe physical hazards that make survival highly unlikely:Impact Velocity: You would hit the bottom traveling at roughly 50 km/h (31 mph), experiencing a sudden, violent deceleration.

The Water Hazard: While water sounds like a soft landing, hitting it at that speed mimics hitting concrete. If you entered at an angle, it could cause instant paralysis, a broken neck, or severe internal bleeding.

Drowning Risk: Even if you survived the impact, the shock of cold water combined with broken limbs or unconsciousness creates an immediate risk of drowning.

Confined Impact: In a tight 2-metre wide space, you would likely bounce off the jagged stone or brick walls of the well on the way down, causing severe head and spinal trauma before even reaching the water.

😳

Posted By: Tombs on July 4th 2026 at 20:12:37

Message Thread

crikey... (General Chat) - Tombs, Jul 4, 20:12:37
- If you need a lift pump I purchased a Pedrollo pump and it's been faultless. (General Chat) - Men without hats, Jul 4, 21:36:58
  - i'll have a squint cheers vm (General Chat) - Tombs, Jul 4, 21:43:58
    - Mate is doing a self build on the edge of the broads and he's just discovered a well (General Chat) - Men without hats, Jul 4, 22:46:21
      - we used to run a water purification station for a nato military site in kosovo (General Chat) - Tombs, Jul 4, 22:58:03
- Lolf, do not fall into the well! (n/m) (General Chat) - Jumbo1, Jul 4, 20:52:43
- You almost missed the glorious promotion season ahead! Did you get the new pump installed? (n/m) (General Chat) - JD3, Jul 4, 20:26:19
  - not yet i've been told to to hire a smaller pump for a day or two to run a diagnostic test (General Chat) - Tombs, Jul 4, 20:40:21
    - you know what you are doing there ....... (General Chat) - ghostof barry butler, Jul 4, 20:58:47
      - how they built them 170 years or so ago is fascinating (General Chat) - Tombs, Jul 4, 21:18:03

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