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sparkie
03-07-11, 07:18 PM
RENO, Nev. – A father of five plunges deep into an abandoned mine shaft. Nearly 200 feet down, video images show he is injured but still breathing, trapped by debris.
The century-old shaft, though, is extremely unstable, its walls crumbling. As one rescuer tries to descend to reach the man, he is hit by a large rock, which splits his hard-hat. Other efforts yield more falling rocks and clear evidence: This is going to be a dangerous mission — maybe too dangerous.
The scenario unfolded underneath Nevada last week, when rescue teams were told to stand down in their bid to reach 28-year-old Devin Westenskow, even as they had evidence he was still alive.
But the ethical questions are more universal: How do you balance the desire to save a human being in peril with the equally important priority of keeping emergency workers safe and alive to rescue another day?
"You're playing God in a sense," said Rob McGee, secretary-treasurer of the United States Mine Rescue Association.
McGee said he can't recall a mine rescue operation that was halted while someone was still alive. But, he noted, a rescue gone awry compounds such a tragedy, adding another layer of grief. Only officials on the ground can know how best to proceed, he said.

I find this hard to believe. They didn't ask me. Some air and a cable and I swear I woulda. As old as I am.
A father of 5 is now being sealed up. Bull,,,,,,,:evilgrin:

USNAviator
03-07-11, 07:22 PM
RENO, Nev. (AP) - A father of five children has died after falling into a Nevada mine shaft so deep and treacherous that rescuers had to abandon efforts to reach him while he was still alive, officials said Saturday.

Devin Westenskow, 28, of Evanston, Wyo., worked at a geothermal drilling operation in Nevada and had gone exploring Wednesday with two friends during his off-hours when he fell 190 feet into the open shaft northeast of Reno.
His family thanked rescue workers in a prepared statement that also identified Westenskow.

"We feel they did everything possible to rescue Devin, but that there was no way to get him out alive given the extent of his injuries and instability of the mine shaft," the statement said. "We are forever grateful for their efforts."

The decision to end the rescue came after two unsuccessful attempts by search teams to descend into the shaft, where Westenskow was trapped in debris, said Doran Sanchez, a U.S. Bureau of Land Management spokesman.

An attempt Thursday caused walls of the 100-plus-year-old shaft to crumble and rocks to fall on rescuers, he said.
"One individual was hit in the head by falling rock and it split his hard hat," Sanchez said. "You're talking about two of the best search and rescue squads in Nevada, and they finally determined there was no way they could safely rappel down."

Westenskow was given last rites Friday. Authorities said he was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m. that day. Word of the death was not released until Saturday because there was no cell phone service in the remote area for authorities to stay in contact.

"The family feels that if Jesus Christ was buried in a tomb, it's good enough for Devin," his grandmother, Lois Westenskow of Lay
ton, Utah, told The Associated Press.

Marine1011
03-07-11, 07:48 PM
Yep, this is what we come to, lookiing out for rescuers, too. What would you have them do, go down so ten more are killed trying to save the one?
This is what happens when we want a world where nothing goes wrong, where we "fix" everything. Ain't gonna happen.
What about car wrecks? they happen
How about a burning buildiing taht has been going for a couple hours.
Gonna run right in and carry em out on your shoulders? doubt it
Some things just can't be helped. Surprised we don't know it already

Marine1011
03-07-11, 07:54 PM
Why just the other day, couple a raccoons was creeping up where my chickens are, and lo and behold, I was too late to save all of em, but I tried. But hell, far cry from a dang mine shaft! If I cant save three chickens, we sure as heck can't save a fella down deep like that

sparkie
03-07-11, 08:02 PM
Ok, so now we leave a man behind. I have worn a hardhat for many a year and I DON"T believe one split.

And, Jim,,,,
"Some things just can't be helped. Surprised we don't know it already"

No, I don't know that, and never will. <!-- / message -->

Marine1011
03-07-11, 08:04 PM
Well, I was watching the evening news awhile ago and didn't hear no mention of sparkie volunteering to get him a rope and some air and head on down, so I reckon the rescuers have lots of experience in these things more so than we do
But i know what you mean, wanting to help, and all, tough to just stand by and not be able to do much. must be kinda how they feel, after all its theier job to rescue

sparkie
03-07-11, 08:18 PM
Bein into mine shafts is kinda a hobby of mine. You wanna be snippy and girlish keep it off the boards and make it a PM. I'm just sayin I woulda gone down for him and not like a bull in a china shop.

Wanting to help????? I wonder how much they wanted.

Marine1011
03-07-11, 08:22 PM
no snippy stuff, spark. just sayin you could have volunteered your ownself. I sure hope they didn't sit around all glad because they couldn't help the person
Thats exactly what I was saying before, that some things just cant be helped no matter what, like the burning buildiing where it is engulfed in flames and just solid sheets of fire, no one could get inside, and yet there are folks inside waiting to be rescued but no one can get in because its not humanly possible how in the world do you think firefighters feel when that happens on their shift and they are standing outside the house and to go inside would be suicide?
Some things just cannot be helped, tragic as it is for the person and his family and friends. Not that they figured he wasnt worth it, they figured a few more lives lost would not make sense, and they are experts in this kind of thing, I would imagine

BauerBrat
03-07-11, 08:23 PM
Ok, so now we leave a man behind. I have worn a hardhat for many a year and I DON"T believe one split.

And, Jim,,,,
"Some things just can't be helped. Surprised we don't know it already"

No, I don't know that, and never will. <!-- / message -->

The rescuers couldn't reach him, if they tried others would die. Get off it Marine, you ain't in combat, this poor f$ck fell down a hole. Tragic yes but give me a break, you ain't goin down that hole anymore than I am. Leave a man behind? That's rich. You know anything about the mining business son? Do some research, you go underground you into a mine you enter into the highest risk profession in America. And this turd was "exploring"

Marine1011
03-07-11, 08:25 PM
Reckon you are exactly on point, BUT I dont know if i would go far to call him a name, him being dead and all. Isnt his fault if he got into a bad spot, whether exploring or part of a job he had, still, he died and we feel bad about that, but the whole thing is, taken two or three more with him isnt no solution, agreed

sparkie
03-07-11, 08:31 PM
The rescuers couldn't reach him, if they tried others would die. Get off it Marine, you ain't in combat, this poor f$ck fell down a hole. Tragic yes but give me a break, you ain't goin down that hole anymore than I am. Leave a man behind? That's rich. You know anything about the mining business son? Do some research, you go underground you into a mine you enter into the highest risk profession in America. And this turd was "exploring"

Guess you din't know me. Guess my worst was a 150 ft drift where the bats used up all the oxy. I'm a turd by your vernac,,,,, I explore. I go down those holes,,,,, You watch Ophra. Son?????? Yea, right.

montana
03-07-11, 11:17 PM
had two friends die in Nev...were checking out a mine they were thinkin about buyin...bad air three made it out barly...two fell back down 150 feet...son of one and a dad of the other made it out....was back in the late 70s...was to sad

m14ed
03-08-11, 04:55 AM
Ok, so now we leave a man behind. I have worn a hardhat for many a year and I DON"T believe one split.

And, Jim,,,,
"Some things just can't be helped. Surprised we don't know it already"

<!-- / message --> No, I don't know that, and never will.

NOT knocking you sparkie,, but i guess you've never seen , or worn , one of the MSA fiberglass helmets. "usually the brown color ones like american bridge used to use , and many Ironworkers still wear because they're lightweight"

NO piece of gear is in-distructible (sp)

Sometimes life's like a card game. you puts up your money and you takes your chances. Maybe somebody that was thinking outside the box MAY have saved him, who knows.
God bless them that were willing to try.

It's a shame that life aint fair sometimes. says the poor soul fell in but who knows. Are we trying to umpire a baseball game being broadcast on radio and second guessing the ump thats on the scene ?

EGTSpec
03-08-11, 02:30 PM
Not meaning to speak ill of the dead, but I'm thinking, if you're dumb enough to go into an unsafe environment like an abandoned mine shaft, you're on your own. He worked in and around mines. He knew...

Mongoose
03-08-11, 02:57 PM
The rescuers couldn't reach him, if they tried others would die. Get off it Marine, you ain't in combat, this poor f$ck fell down a hole. Tragic yes but give me a break, you ain't goin down that hole anymore than I am. Leave a man behind? That's rich. You know anything about the mining business son? Do some research, you go underground you into a mine you enter into the highest risk profession in America. And this turd was "exploring"
Wrong, being a Marine grunt in V.N. in 68 was the highest risk profession outside America or inside. And I saw a lot of impossible rescues take place. We didnt leave to die just because someone else might get hurt or killed.