Police have identified a middle-aged man whose brother found him dead in a well at his home in Watertown on Thursday who they say may have been there for days.
Investigators said 58-year-old James McAdam's brother hadn't heard from him for several days and went to check on him at his house at 264 French Street. There he found the man face-down in a well.
The chief medical examiner's office has conducted an autopsy on the body, but police said the "cause and manner of death are pending further studies."
Police said the man apparently fell in and became lodged about 5 feet down into the well, which extends at least 25 feet into the ground. Investigators believe he was dead for at least a day or two before his brother discovered his body.
While the incident is still under investigation, police said it was likely an accident. The man apparently had a rope with him to retrieve water from his garden when he fell in. The well's wooden cap had been removed and police found tools nearby.
The medical examiner is working to determine the man's cause of death. Police speculate he may have drowned.
The case remains under investigation.
