A Utah man who fell approximately 50 feet into an abandoned mine was found with “significant” head trauma on Tuesday, November 5.

According to Iron County Search and Rescue, the Iron County Technical Rope Rescue Team received a call about a mine fall in a rural part of Iron County around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5.

Life Flight, the first of multiple agencies to arrive on scene, according to an Iron County search and rescue center summary of the interventionmade verbal contact with the unidentified man.

After an Iron County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived and began speaking with the man, Life Flight left the scene to help transport members of the Iron County Ropes team to the area, which “Dramatically reduced response time to save the victim,” the call summary states said.

“Once arriving on scene, the rope access technicians immediately descended into the mine shaft and made visual contact with the victim. It was obvious to the rescuer that the victim had suffered significant head trauma and was in a altered state,” the appeal said. our summary adds. “An additional rescue device was lowered to assist and they were able to place the patient on the stretcher and remove him from the mine.”

According to a press release from the Iron County Sheriff’s Office obtained by Iron County Todayupon returning to the surface, “the victim’s condition deteriorated, requiring immediate medical attention.”

The man – who was later identified as a 49-year-old man, according to KSL-TV – was taken into an ambulance using a deputy’s patrol truck before being transported to St. George Regional Hospital for further treatment. PEOPLE reached out to the Iron County Sheriff’s Office but was unable to get an update on the man’s current condition.

Although the cause of the man’s fall is still under investigation, Iron County Today reports, citing the sheriff’s office press release, that preliminary information suggests the man “may have been preparing to descend into the mine when the edge gave way.”

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“An examination of the site revealed disturbed soils and no signs of anchor failure, indicating potentially hazardous conditions,” the press release adds. “The community is reminded of the risks associated with abandoned mines and the importance of following safety precautions.