BENWOOD – A coal miner was transported to WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital after being struck in the back by a falling rock on Thursday, said Tom Hart, director of the Marshall County Emergency Management Agency.

Hart said the call came into the emergency 911 center at 12:47 p.m. that the man had been hit by a falling rock while working in the Ohio County Mine Shoemaker Portal, which is situated in Marshall County.

It took 30 minutes for the miner to reach the surface. He was then transported by Marshall County EMS.

By late Thursday afternoon, Hart said he had not received an update on the man’s condition. The miner’s condition was still unknown at press time.