Rescue ends for man seen alive in abandoned mine

[Contrary1]

How very sad this story is.

"RENO, Nev. — A priest has given last rites to a man who fell into a Nevada mine shaft so deep and treacherous that rescuers have abandoned efforts to reach him, officials say.

The man was still alive but they said any rescue attempt would pose too great a risk to people trying to descend into the pit.

A video camera determined the man was still breathing after plunging 190 feet into the shaft on Wednesday in Jersey Valley, northeast of Reno.

"The mine is so unstable that walls were crumbling and rocks were hitting rescuers on the head when they tried to reach him," JoLynn Worley, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, told The Associated Press. "They're people who will make every effort to save someone, but they really can't get to him. It would endanger the lives of rescuers."

More: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41915720/ns/us_news/

[Occulus]

1. What a horrifying way to die n/t

[Cirque du So-What]

2. The fact that he's very likely unconscious may be a blessing

As I see it, this would be even more horrifying to be completely aware of your fate, as in the case of cave explorer Floyd Collins:

On January 30, 1925, after a few hours of work, Collins managed to squeeze through various narrow passageways: he claimed that he had discovered a large chamber, though this claim was never verified. Because his lamp was dying, he had to leave quickly, before exploring the chamber. He became trapped in a small passage while on his way out. He accidentally knocked over his lamp, putting the light out, and then he dislodged a rock from the ceiling, pinning his leg. It was later discovered that the rock weighed only 26½ pounds (12 kg), but it was wedged in such a manner that neither he nor rescuers could reach it.

He was trapped only 150 feet (50 m) from the entrance. After being found the next day by friends, hot food was taken to Floyd, and an electric light bulb was run down the passage to provide him light and some warmth, and he survived for over a week while efforts to rescue him were made. The cave passage used to reach Collins collapsed in two places on February 4. The rescue leaders, believing the cave to be impassable and too dangerous, began to dig an artificial shaft to reach the chamber under Collins. The 55-foot (18 m) shaft and subsequent lateral tunnel actually intersected the cave just above Collins, but when finally reached on February 17, he was found dead from exposure and starvation. Because they did not reach Collins from the rear, the rescuers still could not remove the rock from his leg. Deciding it was too dangerous to remove the body, the rescuers left it where it lay and hastily filled the shaft with debris. A doctor later estimated he had died three or four days previously, February 13, being the most likely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Collins

Up until the moment he mercifully (IMO) lost consciousness, Collins clung to hope that he would be rescued - communicating with rescuers and even receiving food & drink right up to the end.

[Ian David]

3. My high school chem teacher took YEARS to die from a degenerative disease he contracted while caving

Those lizard people under Mt. Shasta really do NOT want us mucking about in their domain.

[Obamanaut]

4. I would not like to go that way. nt