Utah Man Sustains 'Substantial' Head Trauma After Falling Nearly 50 Ft. Down Abandoned Mine

Mar. 15, 2025

Scene of incident.Photo:Iron County Search and Rescue

Iron County Search and Rescue

A man in Utah who fell approximately 50 feet down an abandoned mine was found with “substantial” head trauma on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

According to Iron County Search and Rescue, the Iron County Technical Ropes Rescue Team received a call about a fall in a mine in a rural part of Iron County at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Life Flight, the first of multiple agencies to arrive at the scene, per an Iron County Search and Rescuecall-out summary, made verbal contact with the unidentified male.

After a deputy from the Iron County Sheriff’s Office arrived and began talking with the male, Life Flight left the scene to help transport members from the Iron County Ropes Team to the area, which “dramatically reduced the response time in rescuing the victim,” the call-out summary states.

Scene of incident.Iron County Search and Rescue

“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,” the call-out summary adds. “An additional rescue was lowered to assist and they were able to place the patient in the litter and raise him out of the mine.”

Stock image of police siren.Getty

Getty

While the cause of the man’s fall remains under investigation,Iron County Todayreports, citing the sheriff’s office press release, that preliminary information suggests that the man “may have been preparing to descend into the mine when the edge gave way.”

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“An examination of the site revealed disturbed soil and no signs of anchor failure, indicating potentially hazardous conditions,” the press release adds. “The community is reminded of the risks associated with abandoned mines and the importance of adhering to safety precautions.

source: people.com