Elderly Woman Dies in Tragic Fall Down Hidden Well Shaft

Dorothy Louise Downey fell through rotten floorboards of a century-old home while helping her daughter move, unaware of the well shaft beneath.

83-year-old Dorothy Louise Downey died after falling down a well shaft hidden under the floorboards of a century-old home in Salem, South Carolina.
The incident occurred while Downey was helping her daughter move out of the house.
The family was aware of the rotten floor but were unaware of the existence of the well shaft.
It took firefighters nearly four hours to recover Downey's body from the 48-foot hole.
The death has been ruled an accident, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.