Two marines were rescued from the bottom of a non-operational gold mine shaft in Twentynine Palms.
At around 1:00 p.m. on Saturday (April 19), San Bernardino County Fire received a call regarding a rescue at a mine shaft near Crown Road in Twentynine Palms. Officials with County Fire say that three people climbed to the mine at the top of a mountain. Two males identified as Marines in their 20s repelled 80 ft down the bottom of the mine, at which point their ascension device broke. A female in her 20s remained at the top of the mine and called 911.
County Fire says that neither of the men were injured, but were unable to climb out of the mine without assistance. Owing to the remote location of the rescue, County Fire dispatched a crew from Twentynine Palms, who coordinated the response of three technical rescue crews from across the county. The Marine Corps Logistics team from the Combat Center also responded.
County fire said that the challenge was getting the technical rescue crews to the mine itself, but that once they arrived, it was an easy rescue and the two men were free of the hole more than eight hours after the call was made to 911.
No injuries were reported.
