LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Emergency crews rescued an individual Monday morning after they fell into an abandoned mine shaft in the Organ Mountains. The person was trapped more than 60 feet below ground but was reached and brought out by a technical rescue team.

Dispatch received the 911 call at about 10:30 a.m.; the trapped individual reported falling from a rope and being unable to climb back out but was still able to use a cellphone to summon help. That call allowed responders to pinpoint the location and begin planning the extraction.

Crews from the Las Cruces Fire Department’s technical rescue unit arrived on scene along with state police. Rescuers rigged a rope system to lower personnel and hoist the person to the surface. The operation succeeded without complications and no additional victims were involved.

The person pulled from the shaft suffered no major trauma; injuries were limited to rope burns on the arms and hands. Medical personnel evaluated the individual at the scene before clearing them, and no other responders were reported injured during the rescue.

Abandoned mine openings can pose serious hazards, and this incident highlights both the danger of traversing those areas and the effectiveness of trained technical rescue teams when quick communication to 911 is possible. Authorities continue to advise caution in mountainous areas with old mine workings.