Man faces lengthy recovery after 50-foot fall down Iron County mine
Nov 14, 2024, 10:02 PM | Updated: Nov 15, 2024, 3:51 pm
ST. GEORGE — A man who fell 50 feet down an Iron County mineshaft in November is still facing a lengthy recovery, and his wife is hoping the community will continue to show its support.
On Thursday, Bridget Dorris said on Nov. 5 that her husband, Charles Dorris, was helping his neighbor investigate his mine claim in remote Iron County. She said they had done this several times during the summer, but this time, Charles Dorris fell down a mine shaft.
Rescuers said it took two hours to reach Charles Dorris, who had “substantial head trauma.”
“It’s remarkable that he didn’t get stabbed or punctured or hurt worse,” Bridget Dorris said.
A man suffered substantial head trauma after falling 50 feet down an abandoned mine in rural Iron County. (Iron County Sheriff’s Office)
As it was, Bridget Dorris said her husband still struggled to speak nearly ten days later and remained at a St. George hospital as he received speech, physical, and occupational therapies.
“His communication is really not all that great, but since it’s been a little over a week, he’s even kind of amazed the doctors, from my understanding,” she said.
Charles Dorris on his bed recovering in a St. George hospital. (Bridget Dorris)
Bridget Dorris said Charles had the best intentions in helping look into the claim.
“They just wanted to revisit their childhood and see if they could find the gold,” Bridget Dorris said.
She said Charles Dorris was a veteran of the Army National Guard and was prepared and knew what he was doing. She called what happened a “stupid accident.”
“I don’t want people to think he was stupid,” Bridget Dorris said. “He was also hoping that if he did find gold, that we would be able to be financially taken care of and put our 10-year-old, 13-year-old and 21-year-old through school and provide for his family.”
Bridget Dorris said it was unclear when her husband would be able to come home, but he would undoubtedly need railings and other improvements around the house. She also said expenses were piling up as she traveled daily from Cedar City to St. George to help her husband.
A GoFundMe* account had been set up to help offset those expenses.
A photo of Charles Dorris. (Bridget Dorris)
She hoped the community would continue to help Charles Dorris, and she grew emotional as she thanked rescuers and those who had helped so far.
“I am truly grateful for those that helped and it’s remarkable that he survived,” Bridget Dorris said.
She asked for “any prayer, all the prayers, all the vibes.”
“God is good,” she said.
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
