MULLAN - Hecla Mining Company rescue teams have been working around the clock to rescue a miner who was trapped underground by a "localized ground fall," or cave in, Friday at the Lucky Friday Mine.

About 5:30 p.m. a section of ceiling, reportedly 10 feet in height by 20 feet in width and 75 feet in length, gave way in a stope (tunnel) at the mine's 6,150-foot level, according to Hecla officials.

The ceiling may have landed on a miner working in the area.

A second miner, part of a two-man team, walked away from the incident uninjured. The company declined to release the names of the men out of respect for the families involved.

"The company is not yet focused on how or why this occurred - our current focus is 100 percent directed to rescuing the miner," Hecla CEO and President Phil Baker said at a press conference Saturday afternoon at Mullan City Hall. "We're doing everything we can to reach the employee and will continue to make every effort as long as it takes."

Hecla community relations representative Mike Dexter said the mine ceased production and has dedicated all resources to the rescue operation.

"All we're doing right now is what it takes to get that miner out," Dexter said. "There's absolutely nothing else going on right now."

Instability in the stope ceiling, the cause of the initial collapse, is currently hindering rescue crew progress to the miner, Baker said. Before they can advance teams must re-secure the tunnel's structure to avoid further risk to employees.

"The first rule for a mine rescue team or a rescue attempt is team safety," Baker said. "The first 25 feet came fairly quickly because we could do that work from under supported ground."

Once the team reached a point where they could not safely advance any farther, progress slowed, he said. Crews are using spray-on cement and timber to stabilize the tunnel structure so rock debris can be safely removed.

The rescue effort will soon be facilitated by the introduction of cutting-edge technology.

"We're in the process of securing the ability to remove the underground material remotely by flying in resources from the East Coast today," Baker said. "We've chartered a plane bringing in an individual with some technology that will be applied to a (loader) where we can remotely (clear the debris)."

Baker said crews must advance another 50 feet before they expect to reach the man.

The company has had no communication with the man since the incident.

Dexter said that is not unusual because the area where he is likely located, near the face of a silver vein, has no means of communication.

All communication equipment is housed away from the blasting area to ensure it is not damaged, he said.

Dexter confirmed there was no blasting taking place during the time of the incident.

"They were actually wetting the muck piles down from the previous blast in order to cool the stope for later activity," he said. "They were actually not going to be in the stope for very long."

Hecla could not provide an estimated rescue timeline.