EMERGENCY services are in the process of rescuing a person from a mine shaft in upper Teesdale.
Crews from the fire brigade, fell rescue, ambulance service and the Great North Air Ambulance are at Coldberry Level, near Middleton-in-Teesdale, responding to an incident.
PC Harry Marsh, from Barnard Castle Police, said: “The fire service are with the mountain rescue team on site responding to a walker who has fallen down a mine shaft. They are trying to get them out now.”
A person who lives nearby said: “The mine shaft is on a level and you can wade into the water. They are only amateurs, not expert cavers.
“It seems they have waded in and seen the shaft that goes down and dropped down to a lower level but can’t get back out.”
It is being reported that there are 14 emergency vehicles at the scene. The local man who alerted the emergency services said a "young lad" rang his doorbell to say his dad and one other had gone down on a rope but couldn't get back out.
The emergency services have not yet made any further statement on the incident.
