The body of a 4-year-old missing since Saturday was found some 30 feet down a narrow shaft near his home, officials in Carlsbad, N.M. said Sunday.
Fire crews were working to retrieve the lifeless body of Samuel Jones but have to be careful to keep the walls from collapsing, NBC affiliate KOB TV reported.
The Carlsbad Current-Argus reported that the shaft, which is just 14 inches wide, is in the backyard of a neighboring home.
The retrieval could take some time, with experts having to dig a slanted tunnel to try to reach the body.
An Amber Alert was issued for the boy on Saturday after he went missing from his own backyard.
Police said the death would be investigated as a homicide as is the case in all unexplained deaths.
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