ROCKVALE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Emergency responders in Rutherford County rescued a person who was part of a group of students at Middle Tennessee State University who had fallen approximately 80 feet.

Rutherford County said multiple agencies responded to Snail Shell Cave in the Rockvale area around 3 p.m. for reports that a person had fallen about 80 feet to the bottom of a large sinkhole near the mouth of the cave.

Rutherford County Fire and Rescue (RCFR) and Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services (RCEMS) were able to make contact with the victim on foot and began assessing and stabilizing his injuries.

“Additional RCFR companies arrived on scene and began conducting a high-altitude rope rescue operation to lower additional rescuers and lift the victim from the sinkhole,” the county said.

The victim was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The victim’s identity is not being released, but Rutherford County said he was part of an MTSU student group participating in an “educational trip to the property.”

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and the Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency also responded to the scene.

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