Crews were able to rescue a man from a well in the Lynchburg area after he reportedly lost consciousness while working inside.

Lynchburg Area Joint Fire and Ambulance District Chief Jeff Turner told The Times-Gazette the man was flown to UC Health in stable condition after the rescue.

Turner said his department was dispatched Wednesday afternoon after it was reported the man had lost consciousness while working at the bottom of an 18- to 20-foot well.

“We were called for a person who was basically overcome by something, we weren’t sure what exactly, but he was unconscious when we arrived at the well,” Turner said.

The Highland County Grain Bin Rescue Team and a medical helicopter were contacted, and crews were able to remove the man from the well, according to Turner.

“He became semi-conscious in the well with me,” Turner said. “We placed an air mask over his face to give him a little bit of fresh air and he began to regain consciousness. Then by the time we got him up to the surface, he was conscious with the helicopter crews.”

Turner would not release the man’s name, but said he is believed to be in his mid-40s.

“We’re not exactly sure what the nature of the illness was, so for safety’s sake we got him to a trauma center,” Turner said.

According to Turner, the incident could be attributed to a number of factors, such as toxic gases in the ground or a lack of oxygen in a confined space.

“It can be a couple different things,” he said. “It can be gas, or simply a situation where there’s not enough oxygen in the environment. If you get down into a closed area and you’re working and breathing, you’re using up the oxygen and not bringing in enough of it for your body to stay conscious, so things start to shut down. We’re not exactly sure what caused this situation, but we were able to go down there and get him.”

Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.