Successful Mine Rescues in the United States Compiled by Rob McGee for the United States Mine Rescue Association Visit https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/ for additional information — 2021 — Mar Abandoned Iron Mine Rescue, Galax, Virginia Three hikers were lucky to be alive after they were rescued from a mine in Carroll County, Virginia. Three women, in their early 20s, went hiking but got lost in an old, abandoned iron mine. Incredibly, the women were able to call for help after finding they had 1 bar on a cell phone. It was a miracle the girls got any cell signal at all. There’s barely reception driving around on the road, let alone a thousand feet underground. It took crews about 45 minutes to find the women until finally, rescuers spotted them. After another 45 minutes of working their way out to safety, the young women thanked the responders from the Galax Volunteer Fire Department who left their families in the middle of the night and put their own lives on the line. Source document. Apr Abandoned Eureka Copper Mine Shaft Rescue, Corinth, Vermont Police responded to a call someone had fallen in an abandoned copper mine shaft at the Eureka Mine on Pike Hill. The man, who officials said was about 30 years old, tumbled down about 150 feet. Firefighters assembled a twin-tension rope rescue system and lowered two paramedics into the shaft. They then packaged and pulled up the patient in a basket. After his — three-hour — confinement, the man was transported by ATV to a nearby helicopter, which took him to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. There was no word on his injuries or his identity. Officials said the entire rescue took less than one hour. Source document. — 2020 — Mar Abandoned Mine Rescue, Twentynine Palms, California San Bernardino County Fire Department search teams staged a daring and complex rescue of a man trapped in a remote mine. County Fire officials received a call from an unidentified explorer in a rural, unincorporated area of Twentynine Palms who had recently left a mine and reported that a partner was still inside and unable to get out. To reach the trapped man, rescuers braved significant hazards within the mine, including unsafe terrain, and high temperatures and humidity, officials said in the statement that described the 15-hour effort. Members of the rescue team crawled through an entrance on their stomachs for approximately 50 feet. After this, they navigated a large drop by skirting around a 14-inch ledge. Secured by safety lines, the firefighters then climbed down a separate, 200-foot drop on a wooden ladder. From there, they encountered another small gap with irregular height, which forced them onto their hands, knees, and stomachs for another 150 feet. Rescuers lowered themselves down another sheer drop with ropes before traversing a horizontal tunnel. They found the man at the bottom of Property of the United States Mine Rescue Association Page 1 Successful Mine Rescues in the United States Compiled by Rob McGee for the United States Mine Rescue Association Visit https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/ for additional information an additional 90-foot drop at the end of that tunnel. The total distance the team traveled in the mine was estimated at over 900 feet. A team of six rescuers used a system of ropes and pulleys to hoist the man out of the mine. While exhausted, he suffered only minor injuries and declined transport to a hospital. In total, the man spent roughly — 20 hours — in the mine. Source document. Apr Isaban Mine No. 3 Missing Person, Gilbert, West Virginia Timothy Kennedy, 26, who had been missing for more than a week, was located by MHST, West Virginia State Police, MSHA personnel, and a Southern Pocahontas Mine Rescue Team in the closed Isaban Mine No. 3 of Frasier Creek Mining, LLC. Besides having to wade through some water, the rescuers did not encounter extreme adverse conditions and did not need to turn on their breathing devices. They did find evidence of copper removal during their search. The man was brought to the surface and examined by Elite Care Ambulance personnel before being taken to a hospital by life-flight for an evaluation. Source document. May Abandoned Mine Shaft Rescue, New River, Arizona After an undisclosed period, firefighters rescued a teenage boy from an abandoned mine shaft after he fell about 50 feet while driving an all-terrain vehicle in a desert area in the northern outskirts of metro Phoenix. The 17-year- old boy was taken to hospital for evaluation after being pulled out of the shaft near New River. No information was released about possible injuries, but a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman said the boy was alert and speaking with rescuers. Rescuers arriving at the scene found the boy at the bottom of the shaft with the ATV on top of him. Personnel from the Glendale, Daisy Mountain, Phoenix and Peoria fire departments participated in the rescue. Source document. Oct Abandoned Colorado No. 2 Mine Rescue, Eureka, Utah One eighteen-year-old is thanking his rescuers after he was trapped in a mine for at least four hours. Izick Garcia and his friend Moroni Oliveira were exploring caves and mines down in Eureka, when Garcia realized he had gone too far. The two friends had explored a few other mine shafts and caves before reaching a ventilation shaft for the Colorado No. 2 mine. "We went in, and I guess you could say there was a drop," said Garcia. About a 25 to 30 foot drop that Garcia rappelled down in his homemade rope harness. "I was trying to climb up and as soon as I grabbed it, it just started crumbling in my hand," said Garcia. Moments later, the ground beneath his foot crumbled. Police said Garcia and Oliveira did a lot of things right in this situation: they were together, they told others the area they were going to, and they had some equipment. Most importantly, when they Property of the United States Mine Rescue Association Page 2 Successful Mine Rescues in the United States Compiled by Rob McGee for the United States Mine Rescue Association Visit https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/ for additional information realized they were in trouble, they called for help. Nearly four hours after Garcia entered the mine shaft, he was pulled to safety. Source document. — 2018 — May Hi-Crush Sand Mine, Whitehall, Wisconsin Robbie Gunderson was rescued at the Hi-Crush sand mine near Whitehall, Wisconsin when the bulldozer he was operating went into the holding pond and became submerged under several feet of water. As the rescue efforts began, some 10 million gallons of water were released from the pond to lower its level the company statement said. Officials at Hi-Crush said Gunderson was underwater for 2½ hours before he was rescued. May Abandoned Gold Mine Rescue, Phoenix, Arizona An Arizona prospector realized he was lucky to be alive after surviving nearly three days at the bottom of an old, abandoned gold mine shaft in the Arizona desert and staring down rattlesnakes. John Waddell, 60, broke his left leg and ankle when the rigging he used to lower himself into the 100-foot shaft about 90 miles northwest of Phoenix broke. He free-fell to the rocky bottom and saw that his left leg "was flopped up and my ankle was going the other way," according to Waddell. He had a cellphone but no service. A flashlight that didn’t provide light for very long. And no food or water. Waddell said he killed three diamondback rattlesnakes with a stick before they could strike — including two the first day — and then hung on before he was finally rescued when a friend drove to the mine and heard his cries for help. It took about three hours for rescue crews to lift Waddell to safety and then to a hospital for treatment. Source document. Dec Rock House Powellton Mine Rescue, Clear Creek, West Virginia Four people had gone missing on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018. Their abandoned ATV was found near an opening into the mine. More than 48 hours later, Eddie Williams, 43, safely came out of the mine on his own. On Dec. 12th, after more than five days, Erica Treadway, Cody Beverly, and Kayla Williams were brought out safely by rescuers. The three were taken to the Charleston Area Medical Center to be checked out. The idled mine is owned by the Elk Run Coal Company, a subsidiary of Alpha Natural Resources. The rescuers were from both Alpha and the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health Safety & Training. Property of the United States Mine Rescue Association Page 3 Successful Mine Rescues in the United States Compiled by Rob McGee for the United States Mine Rescue Association Visit https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/ for additional information — 2017 — May Unnamed noncoal mine, Tooele County, Utah Trent Widdop, 27, of American Fork, fell into a mine shaft on his UTV (utility task vehicle) at about 2:00 a.m. while searching for firewood. The UTV lodged in the shaft at a depth of about 15-20 feet, but Widdop fell off the vehicle. He fell 15-20 feet to a ledge and then slid another 50 feet to the bottom of the shaft. His family began searching for him when he did not return to camp and finally located the UTV around 5:00 a.m., when they called 911. Crews from the Utah County Sheriff’s office, Tooele County Sheriff’s office, Unified Fire Authority, and Tooele County Search and Rescue responded. Search and Rescue retrieved Widdop from the shaft and he was flown to the hospital with serious injuries.