A three-year-old boy died on Monday afternoon after being trapped in a bore hole in Kalkfontein outside Polokwane for eight hours, Limpopo police said.

Inspector Lesiba Ramoshaba said the boy fell into the ten metre deep bore hole at 7am while walking past with his mother.

"His mother says she was walking to a farm where she works at 7am when the boy, who had been walking behind, fell into the hole," Ramoshaba said.

It took paramedics and police called to the scene the entire day to bring the boy to safety but when they eventually did, he died.

"Together with his parents, we spoke to him throughout his ordeal but things got complicated after he was brought to safety. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him but he died," he said.

The boy's parents were receiving counselling and police have opened an inquest docket.

Sapa