Many countries have hundreds of old, disused, open wells which pose a threat to people and animals. Rescues from wells pose unique, significant challenges and threats to rescuers including restricted access and egress, air quality, ventilation, patient packaging and extrication. Safe, effective well rescue requires a combination of knowledge and skills pertaining to rope rescue, confined space operations, patient packaging and if the well is wet, water rescue techniques.
Due to the infrequency of these rescues, emergency services need to ensure they are comprehensively trained and equipped to deal with them safely and effectively when they occur.

DART’s Well Rescue programme builds on the prerequisite rope rescue and confined space operations knowledge and skills to enable rescuers to safely and effectively respond to well rescues, whether they be dry or wet wells.