LATEST:
A man has been airlifted to hospital after being rescued from a disused mine shaft in the Sunny Corner Forest, 30km east of Bathurst.
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About 10.30am on Monday, emergency services were called to forest, following reports of a man had fallen 10m down a mine shaft.
Officers attached to Chifley Police District, Bathurst Police Rescue, NSW VRA and NSW Ambulance attended the scene.
Police were told the 53-year-old man was riding his trail bike through Sunny Corner State Forest with a group when they stopped and dismounted at a mine shaft about 70m off the Turpins Fire Trail.
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The man entered a horizontal tunnel, where the edge gave way and he fell down a vertical shaft, falling about 10m into water. He was brought to the surface about 12.10pm and, after being treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, was carried a short distance to a 4WD ambulance and driven to a helicopter.
The man was been airlifted to Westmead Hospital for treatment for suspected broken ankles, a dislocated shoulder, internal injuries and bruising.
EARLIER:
A JOINT rescue operation involving police and the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) is under way after a man became trapped in a mine shaft at Sunny Corner State Forest this morning.
It is understood the man, 53, was riding a motorbike in the forest when he fell into the mine shaft.
He was with other riders at the time and they were able to raise the alarm straight away.
A spokesperson for NSW Police said emergency services remain on scene, with the man yet to be extracted from the mine shaft.
Police received the call for help at 10.30am on Monday with general duties police along with police rescue rushing to the location, about 30 kilometres east of Bathurst.
A NSW VRA unit based at Lithgow was also called to assist police at the scene.
The spokesperson said the man was riding his bike in the area when he fell into the mine shaft in a remote area of the forest.
It is not known how deep the shaft is, nor how far the man fell. However, it is understood he has remained conscious.
The rescue operation is still under way.
Location of Sunny Corner Forest ...
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