Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WARNER VALLEY, Washington County — A man died in an abandoned mine shaft after telling his family he was going to look for silver or gold Thursday, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Roy Dale Merrill, 70, was found by family about 100 feet down a mine shaft located southwest of Washington in the Warner Valley area, according to investigators. They said a report of an unresponsive man was received by the St. George Dispatch Center at about 7:15 p.m.
Merrill’s wife and a family friend were performing CPR when first responders arrived with a medical helicopter shortly after 7:35 p.m., the sheriff’s office reported. They said paramedics pronounced Merrill dead.
The cause of death is still under investigation. Merrill last spoke with his family at about 12:38 p.m., when he told them he was south of the Washington Dam Road looking for silver or gold near a mine shaft.
“At 5:18 p.m. the victim's wife tried to contact him by cellular phone, but was unsuccessful,” a statement from the sheriff’s office reads. “After approximately one hour, the victim's wife contacted a family friend who took her to the mine location. There they found Merrill unresponsive.”
Merrill was reportedly removing standing water from the bottom of the mine shaft with a water pump.
It was not clear Friday who owned the mine, whether the shaft had been boarded shut or whether Merrill was allowed to be on the property.
Contributing: Pat Reavy
