Hunter falls down 12-foot well, becomes trapped for 8 hours

MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — There are new questions about how a Merritt Island man ended up at the bottom of a 12-foot well on Sunday.

Christopher Johnson, 28, spent more than eight hours trapped in the prefabricated pit, which was filled with water, authorities said.

Johnson said he was hunting for rabbits in a wooded area when he fell in. Johnson said he's hunted in the woods off Hall Road his whole life and had never noticed the well.

"It got to the point where I started sinking, and it was 12 feet deep and not to mention 12 feet high to get out of there. Ain't no way, and I was screaming at the top of my lungs," said Johnson.

A man walking his dog heard Johnson's cries and was able to call for help.

Johnson was checked out at the scene by rescue crews but had suffered only minor injuries.

The pit might've been part of an unfinished development, but there were no well permits for the property, according to Brevard County's files.

WFTV