Man fell 30 feet into a freezing well; months later, he tracked down his rescuer

A freak accident left Jonno Stubbs, 61, trapped in a well at his property in Cheadle, Staffordshire, in February 2026. The fall left him with a broken back and foot, and he spent three weeks in hospital. During the rescue, firefighter Jack Gaskell, of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s specialist Technical Rescue Unit, was lowered into the well to reach him and bring him to safety. Months later, Stubbs set out to find the firefighter who had helped save his life. On Monday, 14 September, the two met again at Knutsford Fire Station.How a 30-foot fall into a freezing well left Jonno Stubbs with a broken back and footStubbs was building a workshop for his motorcycles on February 1, 2026, when the accident happened. He told the BBC he had simply walked across his yard when the paved ground gave way and he dropped into an 18th-century well. “There was a big splash,” he said. He puts the fall at 50 feet, though Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service described it as 30 feet on the day.Emergency services were called at about 8:40am. Three Staffordshire crews attended, along with a technical rescue unit from neighbouring Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. Early statements from the ambulance s...