SN 12.68 Kosambi Sutta - some details in the Pāli

In this sutta we find:

atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito, so taṃ udapānaṃ olokeyya. tassa ‘udakan’ti hi kho ñāṇaṃ assa

Bodhi translates this as:

Then a man would come along, oppressed and afflicted by the heat, tired, parched, and thirsty. He would look down into the well and the knowledge would occur to him, ‘There is water,’ but…

I would like to know the implications of the Pāli here. Does it imply that he has seen, or has not seen, the water? What is the exact nature of his knowledge, strickly from the Pāli in this passage? (Disregarding whatever comes after it).

He has seen the water somewhat far away. However he hasn’t drunk it’s fill. He’s had a glimpse of Nibbana (at stream entry). He knows this will quench his thirst, has found its source and knows how get there to the well without having to rely on another.

It’s like a prisoner digging his way out of prison sees the first glimpse of light on the other side however he hasn’t got out fully yet.

With metta