A CAVER was rescued last night after falling unconscious in a disused mine shaft in Edinburgh.
Firefighters were forced to abseil into the shaft after the man became overcome by gas in the mine at the Wisp in Newcraighall. They were called to the scene when his fellow caver alerted passers-by.
It is understood the man was overcome within s
econds of beginning his descent and had passed out just 10ft from the shaft entrance.
Lothian and Borders Fire Service arrived at the scene just before 8pm. A spokeswoman said specialist crew wearing breathing apparatus had to bring him to the surface to try to revive him.
Paul Graham, who oversaw the rescue, said: "We lowered oxygen but he could not be revived at that point, so a second member of our crew went down and helped lift him to the surface.
"He was transferred by ambulance to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary."
The man was still unconscious when he was taken away and last night his condition was unknown.
Mr Graham said that it was an unusual and tricky rescue to undertake.
"It was quite an awkward rescue, due to the shape of the mine shaft and the fact that there were brickworks around it," he said.
"It was also very dark inside the shaft itself. We could only see him properly from one side, so it required one of our teams to keep an eye on him while we worked to rescue him."
Mr Graham said that the man, thought to be in his thirties, had been carrying gas-monitoring equipment and was wearing protective clothing. But he added that he may not have been properly equipped for the activity that the two cavers were embarking on.
"The problem with gas- monitoring equipment is that it is not a one-size-fits-all device. You really need to know what you're doing with it to get it to work properly," he said.
"As of yet, we're not sure what the source of the fumes were. It may be that a disused petrol tank was down there and that it was not dismantled properly. In confined spaces, if there are enough fumes present, it's not hard to be overcome very quickly."
It is understood that the man was a member of a local caving club and had considerable experience.
The shaft is said to be one of several in the area. Though not sealed over, it was surrounded by a wall and partially-hidden undergrowth.
The full article contains 424 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
