Man, girl, dog go missing in an abandoned Eastern KY mine after becoming ‘disoriented’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A girl self-rescued from an abandoned Eastern Kentucky coal mine through a narrow passage.
- The girl's cell phone location guided rescue teams to the mine entrance and her location.
- Rescuers widened the passage to free a man and his dog; all three were uninjured.
A man and a dog were rescued from an abandoned coal mine in Eastern Kentucky Sunday after a girl who had also been trapped in the mine managed to get out on her own and share her location with local officials, according to the Martin County Emergency Management Agency.
The missing trio reportedly went into the mine sometime Saturday night and were unable to find their way back to the entrance. Emergency management officials said they were last heard from early Sunday morning, and someone reported them missing around 2 p.m. later that day.
The missing group’s family told officials they found the trio’s ATV at the entrance to the mine, about a mile away from Long Branch Road in Martin County. A rescue team went to the entrance of the mine and discovered evidence that the three had entered the mine, according to emergency management.
Additional help was called to the scene. While waiting for more rescue teams to arrive, emergency management said the girl was able to climb through a narrow passage and exit the mine on her own.
The passage was too narrow for the man and the dog to fit through, according to emergency management. The girl called her mother, and the girl’s cell phone location was shared with the rescue team by the entrance to the mine.
The rescue team responded to the girl’s location and widened the passage so the man and dog could be rescued, according to emergency management. All three were evaluated by medical personnel as a precaution, but no injuries were reported.
“After speaking to the individuals, they stated they had entered the mine last night, becoming disoriented once inside, unable to find their way back from which they came,” emergency management officials said on Facebook. Both individuals and dog were transported out of the hills and assessed by medical personnel on scene as a precaution. “
Emergency management thanked the agencies that were involved in the rescue and reminded people to be safe around abandoned mines.
“Do not enter any abandoned mines, as there are many dangers, most unseen, that could create an outcome that is not this positive,” emergency management said in a Facebook post.
