Rescue crews save Wasatch County snowmobiler who drove into abandoned mine shaft

Photo by Wasatch County Search & Rescue
Photo by Wasatch County Search & Rescue

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah, Feb. 3, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — Rescue crews rushed to the scene Sunday morning after a snowmobiler drove partway into an abandoned mine shaft and found himself and his machine suspended above a 20-foot drop.

Wasatch County Search & Rescue was dispatched at 10:17 a.m. for what would end up being a 5.5-hour operation. They responded to the area of Soapstone Basin.

“The snowmobiler (a male, age 53) had driven his snowmobile into a vertical mine shaft on accident,” the Wasatch County Search & Rescue news release says.

“Wasatch and Summit Search & Rescue responded to the accident scene. The Wasatch High Angle rescue team was able to extract this person from the mine shaft. This person and his snowmobile were hanging about 20 feet above the bottom of the shaft.

Photo by Wasatch County Search & Rescue
Photo by Wasatch County Search Rescue

“The injuries and very remote location required immediate evacuation via Life Flight.”

WCS&R thanked “all who assisted on the rescue,” including Summit County Utah Search & Rescue, Intermountain Life Flight, Utah Division of State Parks, South Summit EMS, and the Wasatch County Sheriff‘s Office.

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