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Man falls 50ft down disused mineshaft in west Cornwall Cornwall mine fall man in 'hourglass' gap rescue
(about 7 hours later)
A man has been rescued after falling about 50ft (15m) down a disused mineshaft in west Cornwall. Rescuers had to squeeze through an "hourglass" gap to get to a man who was stuck in an old mineshaft.
The walker, in his mid 50s, was brought to safety on a stretcher following a six-hour long, multi-agency rescue operation on a coast path at Porth Nanven. Andrew Williams from Wales fell 50ft (15m) down a disused mineshaft in Cornwall and suffered serious injuries say police.
He was airlifted to hospital with a suspected broken hip and hypothermia. The 51-year-old walker was airlifted to hospital after the fall in the Cot Valley near St Just in Cornwall.
A search and rescue helicopter, two coastguard rescue teams, fire crews, ambulance and police were all involved. About 50 rescuers took six hours to bring the man to safety through the narrow constriction in the mine.
More on the mine rescue, and other Devon and Cornwall newsMore on the mine rescue, and other Devon and Cornwall news
Rescuers said a paramedic and technical rescue supervisor were lowered into the shaft to assess the situation. Mr Williams had been walking on the coastal path with a group of other people who raised the alarm on Sunday.
The man, described as an experienced walker, had been with a walking group when he "fell down a very black hole," a spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said. Mark Grantham of Cornwall Search and Rescue said: "He was stuck on quite a precarious ledge.
They said he was "shaken but able to talk, very cold, in a lot of pain and trapped on a ledge" and had been airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth at about 18:30 BST. "To get him out we had to come through this kind of hourglass constriction which made it a lot more difficult."
It is believed he fell after going to explore the mine and stepping on a wooden cover which gave way.
"You have unstable roofs, unstable floors, false floors so there are a lot of hazards," said Mr Grantham.
A search and rescue helicopter, two coastguard rescue teams, fire crews, ambulance and police were all involved.