Whistle saves man trapped down well

A FALCONER spent five hours in freezing water after he fell into a disused well, firefighters said yesterday.

Will Davies, 49, from North Bradley, in Wiltshire, plunged into the well while hunting with his hawk in a wood near Trowbridge. He was saved after his wife, who had set off to look for him, heard him blowing on his hunting whistle.

The stricken falconer was rescued by firefighters and was last night being treated in hospital for hypothermia. Mr Davies said last night: "One minute I was walking along and the next minute the ground collapsed beneath me and I crashed down in to the water.

"I had a whistle and I was blowing it for four and a half hours. I knew when darkness fell Kate would raise the alarm so I was just living on hope - that's all I had.

"My hunting partner Trevor Hemmens knows my favourite spots so I knew he would know where to look. When you're in a situation like that you just have to stay focused. I was wet, cold and I was sinking. The water was up to my ears when I finally heard Trevor's voice."