By David May
Mineral Wells Index
FORT WORTH, Texas — After surgery Saturday evening, the boy injured when he fell down a water well is said to be awake Sunday morning.
Family friend Crystal Mann said 9-year-old Jaxon Tune underwent surgery at Cooks Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. She said Jaxon suffered a fractured a skull after striking his head on the way down the sandstone-lined well, a fall of 35-40 feet into deep, cold water below.
Mann said Jaxon’s skull was pressing against his brain so surgeons had to repair that. He was flown by medical helicopter from Palo Pinto General Hospital to the Fort Worth hospital following his rescue from the well around 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the 500 block of Harvey Road, near Mineral Wells Municipal Airport.
“They said it wasn’t looking good, however with God’s help and many prayers the update (Sunday) morning is that he is awake, and said he was hungry and watching TV,” Mann told the Index.
She said the family and friends wished to thank neighbor Christopher Hicks and emergency personnel for their actions in helping to save and rescue Jaxon.
Hicks, in the process of moving into a new residence in a mobile home park adjacent to the property with the well, grabbed a long 2-inch strap he used to lower himself down the well to reach and lift up Jaxon, who after plunging into the water managed to resurface and cling to the stones to await help.
Hicks described the water as deep and cold.
Mineral Wells police Office Dustin Holden arrived and also went down the well. Hicks said he lifted Jaxon to Holden. The officer was able to get a rescue strap around the child, who was then raised out of the well by emergency personnel above.
Mann referred to the 41-year-old Hicks as Jaxon’s “angel.”
The well, in front of a reportedly abandoned home, was covered with thin pieces of tin and rain-soaked and weathered boards that gave way when Jaxon, playing in the area, stood on top of it.
To help with the family’s costs a Go Fund Me page has been established at http://www.gofundme.com/letshelpjaxon for people to make donations.
Copyright 2015 the Mineral Wells Index