A Richmond teenager was injured late Wednesday when he fell about 20 feet into a window well outside Preston Library at the Virginia Military Institute, according to VMI officials.

The teenager -- either 16 or 17 years old, according to VMI spokesman Stewart MacInnis -- was flown to a Roanoke hospital. Authorities said they could not release the teenager’s name because he is a minor.

His condition at the hospital could not be ascertained Thursday. However, Jimmy Swank, assistant chief of the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department, posted a note on vafirenews.com stating that the teenager was taken to the hospital suffering from mild hypothermia and a fractured leg.

MacInnis said the teenager is part of a group of high school students staying several weeks at VMI as part of a “college orientation workshop” where they learn study skills. The program is funded by a grant and is not affiliated with VMI, though the school puts them up for the duration of their workshop, MacInnis said.

The group had been at the library earlier Wednesday evening, MacInnis said, and campus police are now trying to determine how the teenager fell in the window well later that night.

Fire Chief Ty Dickerson said the fire department was called to VMI about 10:30 p.m., and a ladder was lowered into the well to allow rescue squad workers to descend to treat the teenager. The fire department had to use a ladder truck to lower a basket into the well to retrieve the teenager, he said. The rescue operation took about an hour.