Hunter shoots himself after thee days trapped in well

A Spanish man who fell down a well breaking his arms and legs shot himself after three days of waiting to be rescued.

Spanish police found the body of the 48-year-old man who became trapped in the disused well while hunting on the island of Majorca. It is thought the Spaniard committed suicide after spending at least three days lying injured at the bottom of the 98 ft shaft.

Investigators say the man had fractured his legs and arms when he accidentally fell into an open well in a rural area popular with hunters near the village of Sol de Majorca, on the southwestern tip of the Balearic Island.

The victim, a policeman who has been identified only as Antonio M R, was found sitting at the base of the pit with his shotgun at his side. He had shot himself in the head. He went out hunting on November 24 but was not reported missing until seven days later when he failed to turn up for work after annual leave. A rescue team from Calvia Civil Guard found him on Tuesday evening.

The owner of the Can Trujillo estate where the body was discovered said the well had been opened 60 years ago by the previous owner. But it had failed to produce much water and had lain abandoned for decades.

The mouth of the shaft had become overgrown with weeds. Police on the island have urged all landlords to search their property and close disused well shafts to prevent others suffering the same fate.