Ernakulam, Feb 5 (IANS): A 56-year-old woman rescued her husband who fell into a well in their house while plucking peppercorns in Kerala on Wednesday.

The husband, identified as 64-year-old Ramesan, was busy plucking black peppercorns from the pepper vines.

As he was plucking it, the ladder slipped and since the tree was close to the well, Ramesan fell into it.

Brave Padma, who was inside the house, hearing the noise, rushed out and was startled to see that her husband had fallen into the 40-foot well.

Raising a hue and cry, Padma slowly and carefully entered the well using a rope.

After reaching the bottom of the well, which had around five feet of water, she lifted Ramesan and held him close.

By the time, the locals gathered and in around 20 minutes, the Fire Force Rescue team arrived.

Praful, the local officer of the Fire Force, called out to Padma and asked if everything was fine.

"She told us that none of them need to come down, instead send a net. So we lowered a net. She first helped Ramesan into the net and we pulled him up. Then she came up and her hands were fully bruised because of going down the 40 feet well on the rope. He has been taken to the hospital and is fine. But the daring act of Padma has to be fully appreciated," said Praful the Fire Force official who took part in the operation.

Praful added that they reached the spot in about 40 minutes and the two had to wait inside well for around 20 minutes.