NEW RIVER, Ariz. (AP) - Firefighters rescued a teenage boy from an abandoned mine shaft after he fell about 50 feet (15 meters) while driving an all terrain vehicle in a desert area the northern outskirts of metro Phoenix.
The 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital for evaluation Friday night after being pulled out of the shaft near New River.
No information was released about possible injuries but a Maricopa County Sheriffs Office spokesman said the boy was alert and speaking with rescuers.
Rescuers arriving at the scene found the boy at the bottom of the shaft with the ÄTV on top of him.
Personnel from the Glendale, Daisy Mountain, Phoenix and Peoria fire departments participated in the rescue.
The Arizona State Mine Inspector’s Office says there are thousands of abandoned mine shafts and other openings across the state.
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