WATERVILLE — An 83-year-old woman fell into a 30- to 35-foot backyard well in the 400 block of West Locust Street in Waterville, spending about 20 minutes in cold water before she was rescued.

Firefighters and EMS responders were summoned to the home at 8:53 a.m., and found Ernestine Eggers close to unconsciousness in water at the bottom. Douglas County Sheriff's Sgt. Tom Couey said Eggers was found sitting in about one to two feet of cold water when rescuers arrived.

Couey said the well was located near the carport of the home Eggers and her husband share. The two habitually removed snow from their driveway by shoveling it into the opened well. The woman stumbled into the open well Monday after the lid was left off, Couey said.

Six firefighters from Douglas County Fire District No. 1 responded to help pull Eggers from the well. She was able to assist in her own rescue, pulling on a harness that was lowered to her, but lost consciousness after she was pulled out. She was extracted about 9:20 a.m. and transported by ambulance to Central Washington Hospital.

Her condition was not known this morning.