(KTNV) — A wild burro was hoisted to safety after falling down a mineshaft near the abandoned Nevada ghost town Rhyolite.
A hiker discovered the donkey in distress at the bottom of a 10-foot hole and called the Nye County Sheriff's Office around 1 p.m. on Thursday.
A rescue party arrived to find the entrance to the mine was at the top of a mountain, and would require rescuers to traverse the rough terrain on foot to reach the animal, Capt. David Boruchowitz said.
Once they reached the animal, the rescue team was able to get a rope around the donkey and verify it was in good condition, "other than being hungry and dehydrated."
Firefighters from Beatty were called to join the rescue efforts, bringing equipment to help hoist the stranded burro.
"The rescue team spent several hours getting the donkey out of the mine and, ultimately, were successful," Boruchowitz said. "Once freed, the donkey took off running and appeared to be unhurt."
To prevent another animal meeting the same fate, Nye County responders plan to secure the entrance to the tunnel.
