He seemed in reasonably good spirits when we lifted him out

Alistair Read, Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation

Police, fire and ambulance crews were joined by 20 members of the Ogwen Mountain Rescue Team and a police helicopter was used to airlift the teenager to hospital.

A paramedic had been flown to the scene to treat the casualty, who has not been named but is believed to be from southern England.

North Wales Police coordinated the rescue operation, which lasted several hours.

Ropes were lowered into the mineshaft and the boy was lifted out on a stretcher.

'Good spirits'

He was said to be conscious when freed from the mine and in "reasonably good spirits".

A spokeswoman for North Wales Ambulance Trust said the teenager was taken by ambulance to hospital with leg, shoulder and spinal injuries.

Alistair Read, spokesman for Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation, said the operation was well-supervised and went well despite strong winds and gusting rain.

"He was approximately 50ft inside the mine and about 20ft below ground level," said Mr Read. " When we got there air ambulance paramedics were already carrying out first aid."

"He seemed in reasonably good spirits when we lifted him out," Mr Read added.