[Bluehorseshoe]

RENO, Nev. -- The U.S. Bureau of Land Management says a rescue has been called off for a 28-year-old man who fell in an abandoned mine shaft in northern Nevada.

BLM spokeswoman JoLynn Worley says the Battle Mountain man fell Wednesday afternoon in the shaft in Jersey Valley, about 160 miles northeast of Reno. His name wasn't immediately released.

Worley says rescuers tried to reach the man, who's about 190 feet below ground.

But she says the rescue was halted Friday because of the hazardous, dangerous conditions it posed to rescuers. She says the mine is so unstable that walls crumbled and rocks hit rescuers on the head when they tried to reach the man.

A video camera showed the man was still breathing early Friday, even though he has suffered serious head injuries.

[LUSabres]

Wow, sucks to be him. His life doesn't matter anymore.

[spankie]

Thats pretty messed up, I wonder if he has family and kids?

Would be a crazy situation.

[DeenerThaLeener]

You'd think they would have some way to get him out. With a helicopter and a claw or something. Poor bastard

[pavyracer]

It always amazes when someone decides to walk alone by himself in the middle of nowhere and then shit happens.

[Cap dat 4ss]

Sucks but not worth risking more lives. Understandable decision.

[DEP78]

Seems weird that they just gave up. There was no other way to get to the guy, like tunneling in from a different angle? Just hope the guy isn't suffering too much.

[ABEHONEST]

You'd think they would have some way to get him out. With a helicopter and a claw or something. Poor bastard

I don't believe I have ever heard of a similar situation where you just throw the towel in on a man's life?
Wow! I have to believe some brave soul out there would take that risk. They should have had more publicity on this man's tragedy.

[Cicima6709]

Thats crazy, 190 feet isnt even that much, i cant believe they arent willing to bring in expensive machinery to save a life.

[BetterBizness]

He wasn't randomly walking into a shaft... Anyhow here is the update...

Family questioning decision not to recover man's body from mine
March 4th, 2011 @ 11:59pm
By Sarah Dallof
EVANSTON -- An Evanston man who fell 185 feet down a Nevada mine shaft Wednesday died Friday morning. Now the recovery effort has been called off, leaving some family to wonder and wait.

Devin Westenskow, 28, was pronounced dead just before noon. He had been working on an oil rig near Battle Mountain, Nev. -- just a short distance from the mine which sits on Bureau of Land Management land.

Westenskow's extended family in Utah and Wyoming is heartbroken the recovery effort has been called off and some question if his predicament could have been prevented. They say he was an avid hunter and snowmobiler, and also a father of five.


Sherry Schnurr, Devin Westenskow's aunt
"The saddest thing is to leave little ones behind," said Sherry Schnurr, Westenskow's aunt.

He came from a family of oil rig workers. He oversaw a crew of four on a rig in Nevada, working one week on and one off.

The previous week's crew had gone down in the mine shaft for several hours. Westenskow was exploring Wednesday with a friend when he fell, breaking his jaw and shoulders and puncturing a lung.

"His crew ran back to the rig and got some soft rope and took it upon himself to lower a man down," Schnurr said. "It's terrible to think he's been laying down there on that ledge in that hole, in pain."

Rescue crews, including a navy search and rescue team, were able to lower a camera down the shaft Thursday night. Around 8:00, they spotted Westenskow.

"The fact he put his hands up when the camera came down there, you wonder how much hope that gave him," Schnurr said. "You have to believe he was expecting to be rescued, and it didn't happen."

The last shot of Westenskow was at 3:00 Friday morning. He was breathing but not moving.

Friday night, officials called off the search saying conditions were too dangerous. Westenskow's aunt questions if more could have been done.

"I wouldn't have given up," Schnurr said.

Now Schnurr wants to know why the mine, built in 1895, was left open.

"It makes you wonder how many other holes are out there open in Nevada or anywhere else they do mining," she said.

However, in a post on KSL's Facebook page, Westenskow's sister said they are grateful for the efforts of rescuers and feel they did all that could have been done.

"We are all saddened by his death, but please know that the rescuers did everything that they could to save my little brother," said Misty Moesser. "The interviewers were not there at the scene and are not representative of how the family really feels.

"My parents and many other extended family were there and they feel that EVERYTHING was done that could have been. I am grateful to all the rescuers! They were really good to my family and my brother!"

Westenskow's immediate family also issued the following statement to KSL News:

"We offer our whole-hearted thanks to the assembled local, county and state law enforcement and volunteer search and rescue teams, as well as federal and military units, who participated in the rescue operation. We feel they did everything possible to rescue Devin, but that there was no way to get him out alive given the extent of his injuries and instability of the mine shaft. We are forever grateful for their efforts."

Westenskow was engaged to be married. His fiancee said they weren't planning an elaborate wedding, but instead wanted to elope when the time felt right.

[Cap dat 4ss]

Thats crazy, 190 feet isnt even that much, i cant believe they arent willing to bring in expensive machinery to save a life.

it's 19 stories high. And this guy fell that far. We have no clue what his condition is, he may be brain dead. Odds are he has suffered at minimum a severe traumatic brain injury. And you want to risk others peoples lives just to make sure? Think this through man. Just to get the machinery there and running involves risk.

Edit:
NVM, just read above post. Apparently he is dead and the family is now questioning the decision of not recovering his body. They should look into hiring a private company for that and paying for it all. Anyways, guy was 28 and a father of 5, very sad.

[Socrates]

Poor guy. Hope a miracle can happen for him.

[TWEETS]

amazing that he was alive at all after the fall

[LUSabres]

They can get miners of a cave 2,300 feet down in Chile, but cant get this guy out? Hard to believe.

[Bluehorseshoe]

They can get miners of a cave 2,300 feet down in Chile, but cant get this guy out? Hard to believe.

That mine was more secure. This thing has been worked on in years.

[manny24]

Poor guy. Hope a miracle can happen for him.

yeah but to be raised from the dead would not be a miracle here...he would be a banged up zombie y'know like charlie sheen.

[DEP78]

I don't believe I have ever heard of a similar situation where you just throw the towel in on a man's life?
Wow! I have to believe some brave soul out there would take that risk. They should have had more publicity on this man's tragedy.

Exactly.

[ttwarrior1]

put down a damn rope

[HoulihansTX]

put down a damn rope

Pretty sure that they tried that.

[Marauders]

Sad story. 5 kids are now without their father. Condolences to his family.

[Recurring]

wow.. this is heartbreaking.. They should seal off the mine and mark it as his grave so he can have a proper burial.

[pico]

190 feet under

[Flexin]

They can get miners of a cave 2,300 feet down in Chile, but cant get this guy out? Hard to believe.

They were in good condition. They went down. This guy fell down. They would have to protect this guys back to get him up safely. It could take two or three people to make that happen. With the mine being unsafe it puts too many lives are risk. It would be a hard thing to walk away from.

James

[YorkHunt]

Damn that is crazy...!!!

[Bluehorseshoe]

wow.. this is heartbreaking.. They should seal off the mine and mark it as his grave so he can have a proper burial.

That's the sick part. They're going to have to seal it up sometime so no one else falls in. When do they do it?

[Bluehorseshoe]

They declared him dead and...

The agency plans to permanently seal the shaft and several other openings in the area by Monday, Sanchez said.

[Gruntworker]

wow, this is a truly sad story. Engaged with 5 kids too... man, that's unreal... how terrible.

[windwind]

so i guess the lieave no man behind thing dosnt apply here, and i wonder if he has life insurance and if ther ganna rule this a suicide.

[JOHON8]

Total bullshit.

If it was a CEO of some company the President of the United States would demand extra efforts/resources on national TV. But because the man is a working class guy his life isn't worth the money to get him out.

[Wiggums5]

so i guess the lieave no man behind thing dosnt apply here, and i wonder if he has life insurance and if ther ganna rule this a suicide.

leave no child behind...I think you are a little confused here

[DblDeuce]

Thats terrible, I pray for a miracle for him.

[str]

If the guy was pronounced dead,there is not much left to do.Many,many,times bodies are not able to be recovered.I have to think that the family understands this.

[bozeman]

poor guy that biofuel is a better solutions - no mines - no exhaust.

[pavyracer]

I'm pretty sure is all because of insurance purposes they won't retrieve the body. If lets say they decide to retrieve him the people who are going in the mine shaft to retrieve him have to be insured with a very high premium because the probability of getting hurt is extremely high.

[Flexin]

Total bullshit. If it was a CEO of some company the President of the United States would demand extra efforts/resources on national TV. But because the man is a working class guy his life isn't worth the money to get him out.

Wrong. They are not allowed to go in. Who ever is in charge will not let anyone go down. It was attempted but it was deemed unsafe. The guy fell 190 ft. Someone will have to stabilize the mans spine. He will have to have a collar put on and be placed on a back board. One rescuer will not be able to do this. Two will be tough. Three would be better. You have a mine that isn't safe. So now your going to risk 2-3 more lives in a mine that could come down on top of them. The guy is also in really bad shape.

People are upset because they tried but couldn't get him out. If they tried and 4 died in a mine collapse then people would be up in arms because three mothers, daughters, sisters,fathers, son or brothers were risked and lost going into an unsafe mine. Your damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Thats why it took so long in Chile, they had to make sure they could do things safely.

James