Man rescued from deep inside open mine shaft after UTV accident

— -- A man was rescued after he became trapped nearly 100 feet deep inside an open mine shaft in Utah with his utility vehicle lodged above his head.

Trent Widdop was camping with friends just outside Five Mile Pass in Tooele County, Utah, Sunday when he drove his UTV into an open mine shaft on his way to collect firewood.

Just after 2 a.m. local time, the utility vehicle fell 10 feet down the shaft and Widdop was thrown from the seat landing another 80 feet below that.

It’s unclear how many hours Widdop, who was unconscious, spent stuck in the mine shaft before his friends and family located the four wheeler around 8 a.m. local time when they called for help, according to authorities.

Rescue teams had to first remove the UTV safely before they could get to him.

Tooele County Sheriff Lt. Ron Johnson said the rescue crew first secured the vehicle with ropes and "were able to brace that up where they felt safe enough to send other team members down to get the victim and remove him from the shaft."

After a little over 90 minutes, Widdop was freed from the shaft and airlifted to a hospital in serious condition.

Doctors said he sustained some head injuries but is expected to make a full recovery.