After the successful recovery of the body from the abandoned mine shaft in Tooele County, I am relieved that all went well, and my sympathy goes to the family for their loss.
I was disturbed by reports from both television and newspaper that some people were upset with the Tooele County Sheriff's Office for its handling of the rescue.As a volunteer for search and rescue, I understand the extreme sacrifice that is made by rescuers. The majority of those on this particular incident were unpaid volunteers who spent the better part of a three-day weekend out searching for someone in need. In fact, many spend hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, to ensure they have the proper equipment to do the job right.
The most important part of any rescue is the safety of those involved in the rescue. In all situations, you already have at least one injured (or in need) person, you don't need two. In many cases the person being rescued has put himself in a very dangerous situation that requires special planning and often extensive time to make it a safe and hopefully successful rescue.
This was exactly the situation in Tooele County. Painstaking time was given to make the mine shaft as safe as possible. The decision to call off the search was the correct one, and no one should be blamed for that.
The recovery of the body by family and friends was a heroic effort that could have easily turned into an even larger tragedy for everyone involved. The decision to recover the body cannot be disputed. The importance for closure was obvious. But let's not forget the heroic efforts that went into that effort earlier in the week. Those people who gave of their own time and money to help a stranger in need - the volunteers.
Michael Bennett
North Salt Lake