Williams, David M.

Everything that goes up must come down, but the reverse situation isn't necessarily true, a 22 year old Topeka Kansas man has learned. David M. Williams descended 80 feet down into a mine shaft two miles southeast of Quapaw Oklahoma Thursday in search of rock specimens. He was dragged out with a rope almost four hours later. Sheriff Bill Schuelein said Williams and a rock hunting companion, Robert Radford, 22, also of Topeka, arrived at the mine at about 5 pm. Williams climbed down a pipe, but when he tried to climb out couldn't get past the 40 foot mark because the pipe was slick. After Radford's efforts to pull him out with a nylon rope proved futile, Radford walked into Quapaw for help. The emergency unit of the Baxter Springs Kansas fire department was summoned and a heavier rope did the trick. By this time the rescue was completed at 8:45 pm the incident had drawn quite a crowd. "Williams came out grinning," said the sheriff. They were brought to the sheriff's office where it was determined that the victim was no worse for the ordeal, except for a case of fatigue. The young rock hounds returned to Topeka.