Story highlights The boy fell down an abandoned well Sunday

Rescue crews tried to reach the boy by digging out the well

(CNN) A young boy stuck in a well in northern China since Sunday has been found dead, according to local media.

Rescue crews found the boy's body Thursday in a narrow, abandoned well in the province of Hebei, bringing an end to an almost five-day search involving more than 500 responders.

He fell down the well -- just one foot (30 centimeters) wide -- while helping his father harvest vegetables, state news agency Xinhua reported.

4th night, fingers crossed. Rescue of a Chinese boy who fell down a deserted well underway https://t.co/i1sAvXWGeY pic.twitter.com/Qq3BVtQUXF — China Xinhua News (@XHNews) November 9, 2016

Too narrow for adults to climb into, rescuers began digging out the 40-meter deep well.

Aerial shots of the scene showed excavators working on soft sandy soil around the dry well. Xinhua said the earth was prone to collapse and measures had been taken to support the shaft.