Boy, 2, drowns in mud as his dad dies trying to save him after horror plunge down unmarked 200ft well near playground
A TODDLER drowned in 5ft of mud after he fell down a hidden well near a children's playground - with his desperate father also dying while trying to save him.
Batu Demir, 2, was playing when he tumbled to his death in the unmarked 200ft-deep hole in Salihli, Turkey, on January 5.
Aytug and Yagmur Demir had taken their young child to the playground and were watching him ride his bike and run around before he suddenly disappeared down the hole.
His father, Aytug, 28, immediately jumped in after his child to try to save him.
Hearing the screams, passers-by were quick to call emergency services who arrived on the scene with heavy equipment.
They were able to establish the pair were still alive using a long borescope camera and began to drill a hole in an attempt to free them.
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After 10 tireless hours of drilling, they had only reached the depths of 49 feet - a quarter of the distance down to the trapped victims.
By the time the emergency workers finally reached the pair, both were dead and young Batu was submerged completely in the mud.
The 197-foot-deep well has since be found to have been dug illegally to try to provide irrigation for nearby olive trees six months ago.
It was then abandoned and left dangerously unmarked.
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Police have been investigating the fatal incident and have made two arrests.
Site manager. Hamza Akis, and the manager of the company that drilled the well, Vasfi Cakir, are being accused of causing multiple deaths by negligence.
The deep well has now been filled in to prevent any more deaths.
Aytug and Yagmur Demir had got married in June 2020 and Batu was their first child.
