Firefighters have hailed a miracle after a six-year-old boy survived a 20-foot fall to the bottom of a water tank.

Little Trinity Basden had to be hoisted out of the tank by firefighters after spending 15 minutes in four feet of water.

And he escaped from the fall without suffering any injuries.

Lt. John Thompson, of the Bermuda Fire Service, said: "It's a miracle he wasn't really badly hurt.

"To think he didn't suffer any injuries at all is just amazing.'' The drama unfolded at just after 1 p.m. on Monday, when Trinity was called inside at his great aunt's home in Pembroke.

Pearlette Basden, who is looking after Trinity while his mother is at college in Boston, called the youngster in to speak to his father on the phone.

But Trinity, who was playing with his cousin Chas, slipped and fell through plywood into the pool of water below.

Pearlette, of Happy Valley Road, said: "Thankfully there was only about four feet of water in the bottom of the tank.

"I was absolutely devastated when he fell in. I heard him cry out and I threw him a rope.

"I could see him at the bottom and he was just clinging to a piece of piping.

Then a workman, who was at a neighbour's house, came with a big ladder and pushed it inside the tank.

"But the tank was so deep that the ladder just fell to the bottom. We didn't have a clue how to fish him out.'' And she said Trinity, who goes to Port Royal Primary School in Southampton, may not have been so lucky -- if the plumber hadn't come round on Saturday.

"We needed to get some old rusty pipes replaced,'' she said. "Thank God we did. Otherwise the one he was holding on to down there may just have broken off.

"It really was a bit of a miracle.'' Pearlette's daughter Shawnee, 17, called 911 to alert Police and firefighters.

Police sent a squad car round to see if they could rescue Trinity. But it wasn't until an eight-man fire crew arrived minutes later that Trinity was finally saved.

Fire officers hoisted one member of the crew down into the tank and hauled him out with the child clinging onto his waist.

Hospital nurse Pearlette added: "To say I was relieved is an absolute understatement. I called Trinity's dad around straight away to tell him all about it and I was amazed that I was able to keep calm.

"I'll just put that down to my training as a hospital nurse. That teaches you to remain calm in the most severe of emergencies.

"Sometimes you wonder why these things happen like they do. After all, I'm only looking after him for a week during the school holidays.'' His father Darren told The Royal Gazette : "He's a tough little boy but he's quite light and that may have helped break his fall.

Firefighter Theron Smith, who hauled Trinity out, said: "He's certainly a very lucky boy to have got out without a scratch.'' And Lt. Thompson added: "Now we'd like to appeal to people to have their water tanks looked at.

"Those old wooden tops just aren't safe -- especially if you have children who might wander across the top.''