(La Porte County, IN) - Authorities are investigating the death of a La Porte County man found at the bottom of a well Friday afternoon.

 

La Porte County Coroner Lynn Swanson identified the man as 65 year old Chester Gouge.

 

Emergency responders about 4 p.m. were called to the 5800 block of N. 400 West just north of U.S. 20 in Springfield Township.

 

A short time later, members of the District 1 Technical Rescue Team were dispatched to the scene to recover the man who was now believed deceased.

 

“We knew from the start it was a recovery, not a rescue,” said La Porte Fire Department Capt. A.C. Pressler, one of the rescue team members responding to recover the body.

 

Pressler said other responding members from the team are from the Michigan City and Gary fire departments, who live in the area.

 

He said a member of the rescue team fastened to a rope for security purposes climbed down the roughly three foot wide well lined by a plastic tube on a ladder to reach the man.

 

Pressler said a harness tied to another rope was placed on the victim, who was lifted out of the well using a pulley system.

 

“There were two separate support systems.  One for our guy and one for the one individual,” he said.

 

So far, no light has been shed on how the man wound up at the bottom of the well. Swanson said an autopsy will be performed to try and determine cause of death.

 

Pressler said the rescue team covers District 1, which consists of La Porte, Porter, Lake, Pulaski and Jasper counties.