The woman saved in a dramatic mine rescue in Shropshire suffered a similar accident five years ago, it has been revealed.

Emily Sellick, from Kingsbridge in Devon, was rescued from Snailbeach lead mine, near Minsterley, in a six-hour operation on Wednesday night after suffering an epileptic fit and becoming trapped 300 foot underground.

It has emerged that the caving enthusiast was involved in a similarly dramatic rescue in 2006 when she was 19 years old.

In that incident, Miss Sellick slipped in Pridhamsleigh Cavern, near Buckfastleigh, sparking a three-hour rescue operation.

She was about 300 foot into the cave when she slipped while attempting to climb a small step, falling on to her back.

Due to the intricacy of the cave and her back injury, it took rescuers more than three hours to pull her out on that occasion.

Following her rescue by members of the Devon Cave Rescue Organisation, Miss Sellick made it her ambition to join the group and went on to be appointed as its secretary.

Speaking at the time, she told the Western Morning News: “I want to thank them for the amazing work they do. I was extremely glad they were there for me. Everything was so organised and so controlled yet kept lighthearted.”

She said she feared she may have been left with a spinal injury as she waited to be rescued.

Roger King training officer and deputy controller for Devon Cave Rescue, today confirmed that Miss Sellick had been rescued from the Snailbeach Lead Mine.

And Jon Whiteley, rescue controller for the Devon Cave Rescue, said she had joined the organisation after the 2006 incident, going on to work as its secretary.

“She wanted to give something back to the team,” he said.

In the Snailbeach lead mine incident, a team of 51 volunteers from Midlands Cave Rescue were deployed in the effort to rescue the trapped woman.

The woman had climbed about 250ft into the mine with a group of friends before she suffered an epileptic fit and fell about 50ft down a side chamber.