Her454
03-14-2006, 01:41 PM
out there..............;) :)
A nice drive in the desert led to a frightening fall and a scary night for two sightseers.
Two men went for a ride in the desert Sunday morning, but rather than seeing the landscape, most of their time was spent looking at the bottom of a mine shaft. About 10 miles north of Interstate 8 near Ogilby Road, they drove their Suzuki Samurai over an abandoned mine shaft and fell nose-first 25 to 30 feet to the bottom.
"They were safe and sound one moment, and the next moment they were at the bottom of a mine shaft," said Yuma Fire Department spokesman Mike Erfert.
"That must have been quite a ride."
Imperial County Sheriff's Sgt. Anthony Brewer said the duo were driving up a small grade that appeared to be a mesa. However, in the center was a pit, which was about 10 feet wide.
Brewer said the tailings from the mine had formed a "small volcano" around the shaft. Since the vehicle was tilted at an upward angle going up the grade, Brewer said there would have been little or no time for the men to see the shaft before they were in it and on a head-on collision course with the bottom.
"I'm sure that ride was equal to any roller coaster," Brewer said.
Neither Brewer nor Erfert released any information about the men or where they resided.
Brewer said the mine was one of many that was dug during the Gold Rock mining heyday around 1900 that created the town of Hedges and later led to The United Mines Company (TUMCO) operating the mines. Brewer said the mine was 400 to 500 yards off of Ogilby Road.
Members of the Yuma Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team responded at 10 a.m. Monday to get the second man, who could not be brought out because of his injuries. A firefighter was lowered to the bottom of the shaft and was able to rescue him.
One man received had nicks and cuts, and the other received injuries to his arm. Neither had suffered life-threatening injuries, Brewer said. Erfert said the second man was treated and transported from the scene by Imperial County emergency personnel.
A tow truck was called to pull the vehicle out of the hole, Brewer said.
On Sunday night, a missing person's report was filed with ICSO after the men could not be found. Emergency crews conducted a search, and during the night, the vehicle was found in the shaft, Erfert said.
Brewer said ICSO's volunteer rescue squad, the De Anza Search and Rescue Team, was called as well as the U.S. Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue team and YFD. Erfert said the De Anza crew was able to get the first man out, but not the second.
Erfert said the number of personnel YFD could bring 10 firefighters and three vehicles were used in the rescue was one of the reasons the agency was dispatched out of its service area.
YFD said the rescue was conducted under the assumption that leaking fluids and unknown conditions in the shaft were creating potentially hazardous conditions.
"You do know you've got a vehicle down there, so you know there's oil and gasoline," Erfert said.
Brewer said he had participated on rescues of hikers who had fallen into mines in this area, but seeing a vehicle fall into one was a first.
Erfert said there are abandoned mine shafts throughout the area, so people should be careful if they are
driving or hiking in areas with which they are not familiar. Fences have been put up around some mine shafts for protection, while others are not fenced.
"They're out there," Erfert said. "And you don't know if it's been there for 10 years or 100 years."
Brewer said it is important for people to be aware of the mine shafts and pay close attention to where they are going. He said driving in this area is similar to driving in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area in that people should never drive up and over ridges without first checking what is on the other side.
The two men were extremely lucky to walk away from such a bizarre accident, Brewer said. "We're fortunate this happened during the winter and not the summer," he said.
The Imperial County Fire Department, Rural/Metro Ambulance and the Bureau of Land Management also assisted at the scene. All of the agencies worked together under one unified command system, YFD said.
A nice drive in the desert led to a frightening fall and a scary night for two sightseers.
Two men went for a ride in the desert Sunday morning, but rather than seeing the landscape, most of their time was spent looking at the bottom of a mine shaft. About 10 miles north of Interstate 8 near Ogilby Road, they drove their Suzuki Samurai over an abandoned mine shaft and fell nose-first 25 to 30 feet to the bottom.
"They were safe and sound one moment, and the next moment they were at the bottom of a mine shaft," said Yuma Fire Department spokesman Mike Erfert.
"That must have been quite a ride."
Imperial County Sheriff's Sgt. Anthony Brewer said the duo were driving up a small grade that appeared to be a mesa. However, in the center was a pit, which was about 10 feet wide.
Brewer said the tailings from the mine had formed a "small volcano" around the shaft. Since the vehicle was tilted at an upward angle going up the grade, Brewer said there would have been little or no time for the men to see the shaft before they were in it and on a head-on collision course with the bottom.
"I'm sure that ride was equal to any roller coaster," Brewer said.
Neither Brewer nor Erfert released any information about the men or where they resided.
Brewer said the mine was one of many that was dug during the Gold Rock mining heyday around 1900 that created the town of Hedges and later led to The United Mines Company (TUMCO) operating the mines. Brewer said the mine was 400 to 500 yards off of Ogilby Road.
Members of the Yuma Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team responded at 10 a.m. Monday to get the second man, who could not be brought out because of his injuries. A firefighter was lowered to the bottom of the shaft and was able to rescue him.
One man received had nicks and cuts, and the other received injuries to his arm. Neither had suffered life-threatening injuries, Brewer said. Erfert said the second man was treated and transported from the scene by Imperial County emergency personnel.
A tow truck was called to pull the vehicle out of the hole, Brewer said.
On Sunday night, a missing person's report was filed with ICSO after the men could not be found. Emergency crews conducted a search, and during the night, the vehicle was found in the shaft, Erfert said.
Brewer said ICSO's volunteer rescue squad, the De Anza Search and Rescue Team, was called as well as the U.S. Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue team and YFD. Erfert said the De Anza crew was able to get the first man out, but not the second.
Erfert said the number of personnel YFD could bring 10 firefighters and three vehicles were used in the rescue was one of the reasons the agency was dispatched out of its service area.
YFD said the rescue was conducted under the assumption that leaking fluids and unknown conditions in the shaft were creating potentially hazardous conditions.
"You do know you've got a vehicle down there, so you know there's oil and gasoline," Erfert said.
Brewer said he had participated on rescues of hikers who had fallen into mines in this area, but seeing a vehicle fall into one was a first.
Erfert said there are abandoned mine shafts throughout the area, so people should be careful if they are
driving or hiking in areas with which they are not familiar. Fences have been put up around some mine shafts for protection, while others are not fenced.
"They're out there," Erfert said. "And you don't know if it's been there for 10 years or 100 years."
Brewer said it is important for people to be aware of the mine shafts and pay close attention to where they are going. He said driving in this area is similar to driving in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area in that people should never drive up and over ridges without first checking what is on the other side.
The two men were extremely lucky to walk away from such a bizarre accident, Brewer said. "We're fortunate this happened during the winter and not the summer," he said.
The Imperial County Fire Department, Rural/Metro Ambulance and the Bureau of Land Management also assisted at the scene. All of the agencies worked together under one unified command system, YFD said.