MOHAVE COUNTY — A dog that fell into an abandoned mine shaft was rescued by Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue personnel on Monday, July 7. A 39-year-old woman requested help after her dog Hailey disappeared into the Van Deeman mine while they were hiking in an area west of White Hills and north of Kingman.
“Hailey had fallen approximately 100 feet and was still showing signs of movement,” a Search and Rescue Facebook (FB) post said. Search and Rescue configured a technical rope rescue system with a twin tensioned line for safe lowering and raising.”
The FB post said a rescuer used the rappel rigging to descend into the mine shaft to secure the nine-year-old heeler with her harness.
“Once the dog was securely fastened, the rope team carefully raised both the rescuer and Hailey to the surface, safely extracting them,” the post said. “Fortunately, both the woman and Hailey emerged unharmed, though the situation could have had a tragic outcome.”
Search and Rescue said the incident illustrates the danger of abandoned mine sites and the need for the public to avoid them, especially if alone.
Photos courtesy of Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue
