Lucky to be alive snowmobiler rescued from BC mine shaft

A 53 year old man from Creston BC was successfully removed from an 80 ft deep mine shaft Tuesday after the RCMP received a call by the fellow snowmobilers who were with the man when he fell into the shaft.

Creston RCMP and Nelson Search and Rescue attended an area 30 km up the Bayonne Creek Forest Service Rd, which is between Creston and Salmo off of Highway #3. It is believed that the mine shaft opening was covered by snow at the time of the fall.

The search and rescue helicopter was used to remove the man once he was out of the mine shaft. He was flown to Creston Valley Hospital and as of yesterday he was in stable condition, suffering from a broken ankle and wrist.

The area is well used by back country enthusiasts both mechanized and non mechanized users. It must be noted that this is an area where there had been a lot of mining activity in past decades and is known to have various abandoned shafts and other hazards.