BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

PILGRIM — A Pikeville man who formerly resided in Martin County died Thursday in a Huntington, West Virginia, hospital from injuries he sustained the prior evening after jumping on the back of a wild horse on the former Martiki strip mine property in Pilgrim.

First responders were toned out at 7 p.m. Wednesday to respond to a male, unconscious and possibly not breathing. The caller advised the male had jumped onto the back of a wild horse.

Upon arrival at the scene, first responders from the Inez Volunteer Fire Department radioed the dispatch. They stated the injured man, identified as 53-year-old Matthew Sweeney of Pike County, formerly of Inez, was unconscious, had “snoring respirations,” and was bleeding from the head.

Due to the seriousness of the patient’s condition, ambulance workers requested a medical airlift land on the strip mine site near the location of the injured man. According to the 911 log, the helicopter, Healthnet 7, advised it could not land at the location and had “to go back for fuel and it shouldn’t take long for them to get fuel.” Healthnet 7 advised first responders to transport the patient to the helipad in Inez.

At 8:39 p.m., the transport ambulance en route asked if Healthnet 7 was at the landing zone. Dispatch noted that Health 7 confirmed it was at the helipad.

Sweeney was a retired coal miner and a member of the Martin County Freewill Baptist Church.