In a case where superstition overcame alertness to a real-life emergency, a 22-year-old man in China was reportedly stuck at the bottom of a 12-meter-deep well for three days after falling into the structure because villagers thought his cries for help were the sounds of a ghost.

According to reports, the man, identified as Liu Chuanyi, was hiking through the forest on the border between Thailand and Myanmar when he fell into an abandoned well on the outskirts of a small village.

It’s understood that he spent a good portion of his first hours trapped, yelling continuously for help to no avail. However, hopes of a rescue began to fade by the second day, as he limited his cries to once hourly.

In a shocking turn of events, his calls for help were being mistaken for wales of a spirit by highly superstitious residents of a nearby village, which delayed the rescue out of fear of approaching the structure in the wooded area.

He was eventually extracted by a rescue team following an investigation by authorities on the scene.

It’s reported that he sustained serious injuries, like a fractured wrist and cerebral concussion, following a medical assessment but is expected to recover.