Published: October 15, 2018 |

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An Orange County man died Thursday in a mining accident at Jet Mist Quarry in Culpeper County.

The victim was identified as 26-year-old Rony Acosta Ordonez, according to the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office. A rock fell on the worker around 2 p.m., according to initial reports.

First responders, led by Rapidan Volunteer Fire Department Co. 10, recovered the victim’s body at about 8:45 p.m.

Ordonez’s remains were transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Manassas, according to the sheriff’s office.

Fire and rescue units from Rapidan, Culpeper, Orange, Remington and Fairfax County Heavy Rescue assisted in the multi-hour recovery effort on Thursday

A resident living near the quarry commented on the county sheriff’s office Facebook page that many loud booms were heard from the quarry earlier in the day.

An official with the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals & Energy was on site Friday but declined specific comment about the fatal incident.

He said his agency was handling the ongoing investigation and had been present at the quarry since the previous night.

Jet Mist Quarry is owned by New England Stone Industries Inc.

In 2011, the quarry donated the granite base for the Homage statue in Culpeper’s Wine Street Memorial Park, which honors local veterans of World War II and the Korean War.

Jet Mist Quarry employed 11 people in 2017 and produced 18,717 tons of granite, according to Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals & Energy statistics.

The granite quarry is located in a rural area of southern Culpeper County between the Rapidan River and CSX rail tracks.

Source: The Roanoke Times

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