A Timeline of Rayan’s Rescue Operation

Rabat – Moroccans have been watching with anticipation the rescue operation to save five year-old boy Rayan in the Tamarot commune near Chefchaouen, which officials say is reaching the final stages.

Rescue operations have entered their fourth day, as personnel have started digging horizontally to reach the boy, with only a few meters separating them.

Here is a timeline of the rescue process, and some of the most significant events surrounding it.

Tuesday, February 1

Rayan falls into a narrow well owned by his father while playing outside. The boy gets stuck 32 meters down.

He is discovered after his parents hear his voice and see him down the well using a flashlight. Initial attempts to rescue him using a rope fail, at which point emergency services are called.

Initial attempts to rescue him by entering the well and securing him fail as it gets narrower the further down they went.

Wednesday, February 2

As attempts to drop down into the well fail, authorities deploy bulldozers to dig around the well. Rescuers begin digging a hole parallel to the well, intending to dig horizontally once they reach the depth at which Rayan is stuck.

The area’s terrain and soil prove difficult for the rescuers to work around, as digging operations have to continue slowly and carefully, out of fears that a rock or dirt collapse could harm rescuers or even the boy himself.

A committee is formed to oversee the operations; it consists of top civil protection personnel, local authorities, medical professionals, and topographers.

“I haven’t slept a wink,” Rayan’s father tells local media, while reaffirming to the press that his son is still alive.

The incident starts going viral on social media, with pictures and videos of the rescue trending online and the Arabic hashtag #SaveRayan dominating Twitter.

Authorities slide oxygen supplies down for the boy, as well as food and water. Reports conflict about whether the boy actually ate the food, with official state media denying the reports.

Thursday, February 3

Rescue operations continue, with excavation work continuing to inch closer to the boy. The crew spends the day digging vertically using bulldozers in order to reach the required depth of 32 meters.

Morocco’s government addresses the situation, with spokesperson Mustapha Baytas assuring the public that the government is exhausting all venues to safely secure the boy.

While detailing some of the difficulties facing the excavation crew, Baytas also urges people to have faith in the country’s ability to rescue Rayan.

A medical staff, ambulance, and a helicopter are deployed to the scene to remain on standby to give Rayan any necessary medical attention. A local hospital is also told to be ready to receive the boy as soon as he is secured.

By the day’s evening, the rescuers reach 22 meters deep, with excavation efforts set to continue throughout the night.

Digging operations have to halt occasionally during the night, as terrain collapses pose a potential threat to the safety of the crew and Rayan.

Rayan’s plight continues attracting attention and sympathy online, with populations from neighboring Algeria and other North African countries also expressing sympathies for the boy and his family.

Friday, February 4

Excavation efforts finally reach the required depth of 32 meters, and start digging horizontally to reach the boy.

Concurrently, big concrete pipes are being deployed to the scene to be used in the rescue. Rescuers intend to insert them in the terrain before digging manually to protect personnel and Rayan from collapsing rocks and dirt.

The incident starts garnering more attention internationally. Hundreds of thousands across the Arab world tune into live streams online to watch the rescue operation live.

News channels like Al Jazeera and BBC start covering the incident, with live feed channels on television dedicating their airtime to a live broadcast of the rescue.

Meanwhile, the social media hashtag supporting the boy trends at number 1 in several Arab countries, including Algeria, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi businessman Houssain Mohammed Hijaz offers Rayan’s parents a free Umra, offering the family free flight tickets and hotel rooms to the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

By the evening, bulldozers are put out of deployment in favor of manual digging using pickaxes and similar tools, out of fear of harming the child or causing the well to collapse.

The National Council for Journalism releases a statement, decrying what they call “shameful” practices, such as publishing unblurred pictures of the boy, and publishing pictures of minors in difficult psychological situations.

Rescue operations halt temporarily as bigger concrete pipes are deployed to the site. Rock and dirt collapses also prevent the digging to continue further.

Swedish company Stockholm Precision Tools, which aided in a similar rescue in Spain a few years ago, expresses willingness to provide all necessary support to Morocco to facilitate the rescue.

The firm says they are in talks with the Royal Fire Brigade of Malaga to assist in the rescue.

Personnel and authorities ask bystanders watching the incident to leave the civil protection crew enough room to adequately perform the operation, with experts saying the large crowds can pose additional danger to everyone at the site.

Saturday, February 5

Rescue operations that continued throughout the night inch closer towards the child, with authorities saying they are only a couple of meters away from Rayan.

The operation is sensitive, with its final stages being the most dangerous due to risks of terrain collapse.

Authorities issue an update saying that there are only a few hours separating them from Rayan.

The committee overseeing the operation also gives an update on the boy’s health situation, affirming that he is alive and that he is still being supplied with oxygen.

Rescuers maintain that they have high hopes for the safe rescue of the boy, as millions continue to breathlessly follow the updates of the operation.

Several political parties and figures in Morocco express hope for the boy’s eventual rescue, and praise the efforts of local authorities and civil protection personnel.