A lucky kangaroo is recovering at a wildlife sanctuary this week after being rescued from an old mine shaft on Tuesday.
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WIRES volunteer Ray Mjadwesch was called to the incident near Third Crossing on Ophir Road after a walker spotted the roo trapped inside the hole.
Mr Mjadwesch was able to tranquillise the frightened animal while the NSW SES Orange City Unit performed the rescue.
The roo was transferred to Monty's Rest Wildlife Rescue in Porter's Retreat where she was recovering on Wednesday.
She was not in a very good conditioned, she'd lost a bit of weight
- Ray Mjadwesch
Mr Mjadwesch said she'd been in pretty bad shape when they'd gotten her out on Tuesday afternoon.
"She was not in a very good conditioned, she'd lost a bit of weight," he said.
"I'm not sure if that was because she'd been down there a while or if she was already a bit skinny."
Mr Mjadwesch said abandoned mine shafts in the region are a more common threat to animals than people know.
"I've been out doing environmental assessment work and found piles of bones in the bottom," he said.
"If an animal is unfortunate enough to slip down it has to be lucky to be spotted and survive."
NSW SES Orange volunteers Grant Hill, Brenden Lowe and Kimberley Cashman performed the rescue.
The job was 19-year-old Ms Cashman's first time on a call out as Deputy Team Leader.
Veteren volunteer Mr Hill said the roo rescue was an example of how different each job is.
"What we do from one day to the next always changes," he said.
Mr Hill entered the mine shaft to retrieve the frightened animal.
He said the volunteers suited up and took the necessary precautions as the ground inside abandoned can be very unstable.
"When we arrive at a job we assess an area and look around. We need to have a harness on two metres away from a hole because that's often where accidents happen," he said.
SES Media Officer Keiren McLeonard said the volunteers take part in training exercises once a week to prepare them for confined spaces.
"Grant's a very experienced member who has been involved in lots or rescues," she said.
This was the second time Mr Hill had helped rescue a kangaroo from a mine shaft.
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