A 30-year-old miner was airlifted to Westmead Hospital after his right leg was trapped by a conveyor belt head eight kilometres underground at Clarence Colliery on Monday night.
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Emergency services including NSW Ambulance, Police, Lithgow Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and the Western Mines Rescue squad were called to the scene at 8.40pm.
The man was trapped for two hours and was released by his work colleagues.
He sustained a fracture to his pelvis, leg and a large laceration to his body.
He was lucky that he wasn't down there by himself, I know some people work alone down there.
- Lithgow VRA captain Ian Bennett
It took 40 minutes for emergency services to reach the miner and bring him to the entrance, where two special operations ambulance teams stabilised him for the flight.
Lithgow VRA captain Ian Bennett said the miner was very lucky to get out.
"He was lucky that he wasn't down there by himself, I know some people work alone down there.
"His work mates did an excellent job, their mateship showed and they did the job - they got in and got him out," he said.
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