Poor woman

A woman fell down an 18m opal mine shaft and survived four days in the well-like mine shaft.

She has deep cuts and abrasions, a fractured base of the skull and a fractured sternum (breastbone).

The woman was only found because she didn't turn up to dinner with a dear friend. The search was called four days after she went missing.

She was walking her dog and turned to look back at the dog and that's when she fell down the mine shaft.

For anyone who isn't familiar with Lightning Ridge, miners dig holes all over the place, they're only about two foot six inches in diameter (which probably saved the woman's life), because they're looking for that elusive vein.

NSW Police Media Release, more at news.com.au, with photo.