Three people were rescued from an abandoned coal mine in Boone County, West Virginia, after being trapped below ground for five days. Kayla Williams, 25, Erica Treadway, 31, and Cody Beverly, 21 were reported missing on Saturday 8 December 2018, when their vehicle was found near the entrance to the the Rock House Powellton mine in Clear Creek, which closed down about two years ago. Rescue workers were able to locate the trio, who were trapped by rising waters in the mine over a kilometre below ground, after a fourth member of the party, Eddie Williams, 43, managed to escape and raise the alarm, on Monday 10 December, although it still took the rescuers three days to pump enough water out to reach the trio.
Erika Treadway, 31, of Boone County, West Virginia, being rescued from an abandoned coal mine after being trapped below ground for five days. CBS.
The four are thought to have entered the mine to steal copper wiring, an increasingly common crime at inactive mines in West Virginia, where the combination of high unemployment, falling living conditions, and the high price of copper has made the crime highly lucrative, with some thieves reportedly earning as much as US$1000 for a single trip, though it is unclear at this time if any charges will be brought.
See also...
Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.