Kasaragod: A farmer couple were found dead in a deep, unlined well on their property at Kariyottuchal ward near Malom in Kasaragod's Balal panchayat on Friday.

Sabu (56) of Thadathil House at Kariyottuchal and his wife Saji Sabu (52) were found dead in the well by their only son, Melbin (22), around 2 pm.

The family had breakfast together around 10 am, after which Melbin, who is pursuing an undergraduate course online, went to his room to study and later took a nap. When he came out of his room around 2 pm, he could not find his parents. He went looking for them and found their phones on top of the pump house near the farm well, about 100 metres from their house. When he looked into the well, he saw his mother dead, floating in the water.

The well, about 10 feet deep, has no parapet or protective wall around it. It is surrounded by undergrowth and ferns, making its edge difficult to see, said Balal panchayat vice-president Raju Kattakkayam and Kariyottuchal ward member. The ground around the well slopes towards the water.

Firefighters from the Cheemeni Fire Station reached the spot and recovered the bodies.

As there were no eyewitnesses, the exact circumstances in which the couple fell into the well are not known, said Vellarikkundu police. They suspect that the couple may have gone to the well to chlorinate the water. The water in the well appeared to have been freshly chlorinated, while traces of chlorine were also found in a bucket near the well.

Police also noticed signs suggesting that someone had slipped near its edge. One possibility being examined by the police is that one of them may have accidentally fallen into the well and the other may have jumped in to rescue their spouse, said police. Neighbours said Sabu and Saji were good farmers who owned around seven acres of land. Until recently, Sabu used to also own a grocery store at Malom.

After the inquest, the bodies were shifted to the Kanhangad District Hospital. The autopsy is scheduled for Saturday.