Bones Found in Shaft of Mine Near Acton : Local News in Brief

A miner exploring an abandoned shaft near Acton didn’t find gold, which he was hoping for, but did discover the skeletal remains of a human, authorities said Tuesday.

Donald Hall of San Bernardino had dug into a mine shaft off Crown Valley Road next to the Governor Mine, said investigator Dean Sebree of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. He found the skeleton on a side path about 25 feet from the surface, Sebree said.

Hall put the skull, some vertebrae, and arm and leg bones in his five-gallon bucket and started to haul them up, Sebree said. He then changed his mind, left the bucket in the shaft and notified authorities, who retrieved the bones Monday afternoon, Sebree said.

A forensic pathologist will determine the age and sex of the dead person, the cause of death and how long the remains had been in the mine, Sebree said.