A husky fell 30 feet into an abandoned mine shaft in the mountains west of Grantsville on Sunday afternoon. His owner watched him dart inside and disappear.
Tooele County Search and Rescue got the call at 4:50 p.m.
What the Team Was Up Against
The mine was high on the mountain, narrow at the opening, and had limited anchor points. The narrow opening and limited anchor points made a standard approach impossible.
The team rigged a creative system that let one member get down to the dog. That member was Crystal Sides.
What Happened Inside the Mine
Crystal Sides reached the husky 30 feet down and ran a quick field check before moving him.
“Once I got down to the dog, I felt around and felt his legs, made sure there was no tenderness, no broken bones, no bleeding before I started handling him too much,” Sides told Fox 13.
The dog was in perfect health. She built a makeshift harness and he was lifted out. Tooele County Search and Rescue called it a “paws-itively successful rescue” on social media.
The husky was reunited with his owner with no injuries reported.
How It Happened
The dog and his owner were hunting in the mountains near Tooele when they got close to a mine opening. The dog darted inside before his owner could stop him.
Jeremy Evans with Tooele County Search and Rescue described the area as having a significant number of open mine shafts, particularly around Fivemile Pass where recreational UTV and OHV use is common.
Fast response saves lives every time. When two dogs fell into a Tempe canal with no way out, it was the same principle, the right people moving fast made all the difference.
The Bigger Problem This Rescue Points To
As KUTV reported on the rescue, Tooele County Search and Rescue estimates there are approximately 17,000 abandoned mine openings or hazardous mine openings in Utah. The county has created a map to track the ones they are aware of.
Most of these shafts have no markings and no fencing. They look like holes in the ground until something or someone falls into one.
Hidden underground hazards are not just a Utah problem. Maisy, a dog in South Carolina, fell 50 feet into an abandoned well covered only by bamboo on her own property, same outcome, different state, same lack of warning.
Why This Matters
According to the BLM’s Abandoned Mine Lands program, the agency has identified more than 41,000 abandoned mine sites on public lands alone across the West, many with unmarked physical safety hazards.
Utah alone has tens of thousands. The ones in Tooele County sit in terrain actively used for hiking, hunting, and off-road recreation.
Hunters and hikers both face risks like this. Fall hiking with dogs brings its own set of hazards that most owners don’t consider until they are already out there.
Key Takeaways
- A husky fell 30 feet into an abandoned mine shaft west of Grantsville on Sunday, September 27 at 4:50 p.m.
- The dog and owner were hunting when the dog darted into the mine.
- SAR member Crystal Sides rappelled down, assessed the dog, built a makeshift harness, and lifted him out.
- The dog was in perfect health with no injuries reported.
- Utah has an estimated 17,000 abandoned mine openings, many unmarked, in areas used for outdoor recreation.
He Came Out Wagging
Crystal Sides went 30 feet into a mine shaft to check a dog’s legs before she moved him. That is what search and rescue looks like when it works.
Have you ever had a pet disappear into terrain you had no idea was dangerous? Tell me in the comments, and follow Furry Found on X and our Facebook page for more stories like this.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Details are based on public reports and may change.
[…] rescues for dogs in confined spaces have become more common than most people realize. When a husky fell 30 feet into an abandoned mine shaft in Utah, search and rescue used the same principle a creative rigging system over a narrow opening to bring […]