Snowmobiler rescued after falling into abandoned mineshaft in Wasatch County

A 53-year-old snowmobiler was rescued Saturday morning after accidentally driving into a vertical mineshaft in the remote Soapstone Basin area, requiring a high-angle extraction and emergency airlift. Photo: Wasatch County Search and Rescue.

SOAPSTONE BASIN, Utah—A 53-year-old snowmobiler was rescued Sunday morning after accidentally driving into a vertical mineshaft in the remote Soapstone Basin area, requiring a high-angle extraction and emergency airlift.

Wasatch County Search and Rescue received the call at 10:17 a.m. and responded alongside Summit County Search and Rescue. The Wasatch High Angle Rescue Team located the snowmobiler and found him and his machine suspended about 20 feet above the bottom of the shaft.

Due to the severity of his injuries and the remote location, responders determined immediate evacuation was necessary. Intermountain Life Flight transported the man from the scene.

The operation lasted 5.5 hours and involved multiple agencies, including Wasatch County Search and Rescue, Summit County Utah Search and Rescue, Intermountain Life Flight, Utah Division of State Parks, South Summit EMS, and the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities have not released details about the victim’s condition but expressed gratitude for the coordinated rescue efforts.