SPRUCE PINE, VA (LOOTPRESS) – The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office responded early Wednesday morning to a report of two missing adult men in the Spruce Pine area of Buchanan County.
Authorities said the men may have entered an abandoned drift mine on Spruce Pine Road.
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The Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, along with the Mine Safety and Health Administration, were called to assist, and mine rescue teams from the Department of Energy and Coronado Mine Rescue also joined the search.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., the bodies of the two men were found inside the mine. They were later identified as Jerry Chambers Jr., 49, of Jewell Ridge, VA, and Jerry Orville Jenks, 53, of Paynesville, WV.
The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management provided equipment and support at the scene, while Oakwood Fire and Rescue assisted with emergency medical care and transport.
The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office thanked Governor Youngkin’s office for its support during the incident.
The bodies were transported to the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Roanoke for autopsy.
Officials said no foul play is suspected, and the investigation is ongoing.
