An inspiring story about survival is going viral this week after an elderly man fell 100 feet down an abandoned Arizona gold mine and managed to survive.

John Waddell, 62, is the owner of the gold mine, which is located in the town of Aguila. He was recently trying to lower himself down the mine using a rope when he lost control of it and proceeded to plummet 100 feet to the bottom of the shaft.

John managed to survive in the dark hole for two days without food or water. While he was trapped in the mine shaft, he had to fight off three rattle snakes, killing them all with his bare hands!

Thankfully, he had told a friend of his named Terry Schrader that he would be going down the mine before he left home. When he wasn’t back by the next evening, Terry knew something was wrong, so he went to the mine himself the morning after.

“I could hear him hollering, ‘help, help!,'” Terry said of the moment he got there.

Terry called the police, who sent in rescue crews that were able to save John in a three hour operation. They airlifted him to Banner University Medical Center Phoenix, where he is set to have surgery on two broken legs. Despite these injuries, the hospital says that he is otherwise in good condition.

“He is a very fortunate individual,” said Roger Yensen of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Mountain Rescue.

It’s inspiring that this miner’s will to live surpassed his unfortunate fall! Find out more about his harrowing story in the video below!