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CEDAR CITY — Emergency responders on Tuesday were able to successfully rescue a 49-year-old man who fell approximately 50 feet into an abandoned mine shaft in a rural part of Iron County.
The Iron County Technical Ropes Rescue Team first received the call at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and medical helicopters were dispatched.
"Life Flight was the first to arrive on scene and made verbal contact with the patient. A deputy with the Iron County Sheriff's Office then arrived on scene and began talking with the patient," according to a Facebook post from Iron County Search and Rescue.
After initial contact was made, Life Flight left to begin transporting search-and-rescue crews and their gear to the site, which "dramatically" reduced the response time needed to rescue the victim.
"Once the ropes team arrived on scene, they immediately descended down the mine shaft and made visual contact with the victim. It was apparent to the rescuer that the victim had sustained substantial head trauma, and was in an altered state," said the post.
Once the man was successfully raised out of the mine, he was taken to an ambulance in a deputy's patrol truck — with medical personnel — before he was eventually transported to a nearby hospital.
No details on the man's current condition were given.
This story may be updated.
Correction: The Iron County Sheriff's Office had said the man was 52-year-old, but later sent a correction saying he was actually 49-year-old.
