AGUILA, Ariz. — An Arizona man who fell into a 100-foot mine Monday was rescued after a 48-hour ordeal that saw him break both of his legs and kill three rattlesnakes, KNXV reported.
Crews from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office rescued John Waddell, 62, on Wednesday, KSAZ reported. Waddell went 48 hours without food or water and was airlifted to a hospital, authorities said.
It took hours, but rescuers pulled a 62-year-old father out of a 100-foot gold mine shaft this evening.
— Zach Crenshaw ABC15 (@ZachCrenshaw) October 18, 2018
He fell on Monday and was trapped for 48 hours before a friend checked on him.
Hear from that friend at 10...AND how the man handled 3 rattlesnakes in the mine with him! pic.twitter.com/fmswVnCVur
"He's got both artificial knees. One of them is messed up," Waddell's friend, Terry Shrader, told KNXV.
After the fall, Shrader said Waddell found himself trapped -- with several rattlesnakes surrounding him.
Because of a pact between the two men, Shrader was able to find Waddell when he went missing.
"He called me Monday and told me he was coming to the mine. And we always had a deal, if he is not back by Tuesday (to come check on him)," Shrader told KNXV. "As I pulled out my truck I could hear him hollering. 'Help, help!'"
Shrader quickly drove out of the desert to get help, the television station reported. It took six hours to extricate Waddell from the mine.
Waddell is in good condition Thursday night, hospital officials told KNXV.
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