Tamil Nadu, India (CNN) A two-year-old boy trapped 26 meters (88 feet) down a well since last Friday, sparking a major rescue attempt that captivated India, has died.

The body of Sujith Wilson was pulled from the abandoned borewell hours after officials confirmed his death in a press conference in southern Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirapalli district early Tuesday.

His remains will be cremated near his village of Nadukattupatti later in the day after a church service, officials said. On Tuesday, villagers laid leaves of the calotropis, or milkweed plant, across local roads in accordance with a Hindu belief that they would ward against further accidents.

Sitting inside the family's modest farm house, Wilson's mother Kala Mary told CNN: "My courageous son doesn't deserve the fatal end."

Indians had followed every development in the days-long rescue attempt, with the hashtags #prayforsurjeeth and #sujithwilson trending on social media and Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeting his support

Handout photo of Sujith Wilson (center-right) and his family.

Read More