2 missing men, including one from West Virginia, found dead in abandoned mine
A missing man from West Virginia and a missing man from Virginia were found dead in an abandoned drift mine, officials said.
In a news release posted to Facebook, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office in Virginia said 49-year-old Jerry Chambers Jr. of Jewell Ridge, Virginia, and 53-year-old Jerry Orville Jenks of Paynesville, West Virginia, were found dead on Wednesday.
Virginia law enforcement said in the news release that officers were called to the Spruce Pine section of Buchanan County for a report of two missing men shortly after midnight. The sheriff's office said the two men were believed to have gone into an abandoned drift mine. The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy and the Mine Safety and Health Administration responded to the scene to help locate the men.
Crews found the bodies of the two missing men around 10:30 a.m. inside the mine, officials said. The bodies were then recovered and taken to the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsies.
"At this time, no foul play is suspected," the news release said. "The investigation remains ongoing."
The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management provided equipment used in the recovery mission. Other agencies assisted with medical support and transport and rescue teams.
It was not immediately clear why the two men were inside the abandoned mine. No other information was released on Wednesday.
Buchanan County is in western Virginia. The county's northern and eastern sections border southern West Virginia.