A MELBOURNE-based geologist suffered lacerations to the face and body and a broken ankle when he fell 15-metres down a 60-metre mine shaft near Avoca yesterday.
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Derek Lee, was inspecting the Percydale Mine, 13km west of Avoca, about 3pm when the ladder gave way, sending him plummeting down the hole.
Mr Lee, aged in his 30s, spent a gruelling three hours in the dark shaft before he was winched to safety by the Stawell Gold Mine Rescue crew at 6pm.
Rescue team member Rob Stewart was lowered by winch and rope into the mine shaft shortly after 5pm _ his mission to find the injured man and bring him back to safety.
Mr Stewart said the victim had been inspecting the ladder he was standing on about 10-metres inside the shaft when it gave way.
He said Mr Lee tumbled a further 15-metres down the 60-metre hole.
``He was fine when I got down to him and then it was a matter of carefully weaving him back up through a shoulder-width hole,Chr(39)Chr(39) he said.
``There wasnChr(39)t much room and he was a great help as we harnessed him and brought him back up in the seated position.Chr(39)Chr(39)
Elmhurst police senior constable Adrian Cavill said Mr LeeChr(39)s off-sider at the time, and care-taker of the mine, was the first to alert police and ambulance crews to the incident.
Sen Const Cavill said ambulance paramedics and SES crews worked together throughout the afternoon, ferrying painkillers to the victim until the rescue team arrived.
``We understand the victim is the owner of the mine and the bloke with him is the caretaker,Chr(39)Chr(39) he said.
``He has fallen a long way and is probably lucky the injuries arenChr(39)t worse than they are.Chr(39)Chr(39)
Avoca Hotel owner David Brown said Mr Lee and his father Geoffrey rented a house in Avoca about five years ago when the mine operational.
Mr Brown said the mine was then run by Leetech Corporation, a company owned by Geoffrey Lee.
``I have known Derek for five or six years but I havenChr(39)t seen him here for about 18 months,Chr(39)Chr(39) he said.
``The caretaker of the mine is a local fellow who lives in Percydale, but Derek is from Singapore. He is a geologist and is based in Melbourne most of the time.Chr(39)Chr(39)
Mr Lee was taken by ambulance to the Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital last night where he underwent surgery on his broken ankle.
3.15pm - Ambulance crew receive call that a man has fallen down a shaft at the Percydale Mine
4pm - SES and police attend scene
5pm - Stawell Gold Mine rescue crew arrived
5.20pm - Rob Stewart(Stawell Gold Mine Rescue) hooked up to harness and lowered down hole
5.45pm - Victim is fitted to air splint in preparation to be hauled back up the shaft
6pm - Victim is winched to safety and transported from the Percydale mine to the Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital suffering broken ankle and lacerations