How did a walker survive a 50ft fall down a mineshaft in Cornwall? According to Mr Andrew Williams, it was all thanks to the rucksack on his back. Well that is the theory of the 51 year old from Wales who had been out walking with a group of people near St Just in West Cornwall. His ordeal began when he went off to explore an old mine opening in Cot Valley. Unfortunately, the wooden cover he was standing on suddenly gave way. More than 50ft later, he found himself precariously perched on a narrow ledge. Surviving the fall however was not the end of his trials for he remained trapped in the mine unable to get out. He was so well and truly stuck that it took volunteers from Cornwall Search and Rescue six hours to get him out of the shaft and even then they had to squeeze him through a narrow “hourglass” gap. Mr Williams was airlifted to hospital where he underwent an operation to fix his broken pelvis. The crocked walker is in no doubt he owes his life to the “professionalism and knowledge” of the volunteer rescuers and also his “full rucksack that took the brunt of the impact and saving me from banging my head”. Now that is what you call hitting the sack.
