Man drives onto Berkeley Pit iceBy the Standard Staff - 01/24/2004
A disoriented elderly man drove onto the frozen Berkeley Pit Monday night — and survived without incident, the Butte police department confirmed Friday.
"We were extremely lucky as far as not having to investigate something," said Butte Sheriff John Walsh.
The man's name was not available through police reports. Montana Resources, which owns the pit, declined to comment out of concern for the family, said mine spokesman Steve Walsh.
Police reports relayed the following:
The man, said to be about 85, was sight-seeing in the area in his Chevy Blazer, and for an unknown reason at about 8:30 p.m. he drove past security and through a fence surrounding the Berkeley Pit. He then made it about 50 feet off the shore onto the pit ice. The pit is about 1,000 feet deep and contains highly acidic water with concentrations of aluminum, copper, cadmium, cobalt, iron, manganese and zinc.
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