LEE COUNTY, FL, September 14, 2026: A woman died after Lee County mine accident when a construction vehicle overturned into a body of water at Bell Mine off State Road 82, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Emergency personnel and other workers tried to rescue the operator after she became trapped underwater inside the vehicle. Meanwhile, the Mine Safety and Health Administration also responded to the site and began a parallel investigation.
An incident report obtained by Gulf Coast News says a woman was driving a construction vehicle at Bell Mine. It overturned into a lake.
Afterward, the mine’s site manager told investigators he heard a radio call. Specifically, the transmission asked someone to call 911 after a work vehicle entered the water.
In addition, another worker reported seeing damage to a parked trailer and then noticing tires protruding from the water. The worker entered the water and tried to reach the operator. Other employees also tried to help; however, they could not free her.
At the same time, the publicly available report did not identify what caused the vehicle to overturn.
When deputies arrived, personnel from the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District were working to extricate the woman from the submerged vehicle.
Soon after, divers from the sheriff’s office and the fire district entered the water. Responders found the operator pinned inside the vehicle, and their initial rescue efforts could not remove her.
Ultimately, the sheriff’s office report cited by Gulf Coast News states that rescuers removed the vehicle’s windshield and repositioned parts of the interior to reach the operator.
Responders then recovered the woman from the vehicle and transferred her to the Medical Examiner’s Office. However, Gulf Coast News did not publish her identity in the publicly available report.
Notably, the incident occurred at Bell Mine on State Road 82 in Lee County.
Additionally, Earth Tech Enterprises lists Bell Mine at 21260 State Road 82 E, Fort Myers, Florida 33913. The company describes the roughly 500-acre site as a mining operation that produces base rock, aggregate, fill material, and riprap.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death. Meanwhile, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, commonly known as MSHA, also remained on scene and is conducting a parallel investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
So far, available information does not provide a final determination about why the vehicle entered the water or whether workplace conditions, equipment issues, operator actions, or another factor contributed to the Lee County mine accident. Investigators are expected to address those questions in the official investigations.
Credits and Attribution
Original reporting: “Report details rescue effort after driver is pinned underwater and dies at Lee County mine,” Gulf Coast News, by James Curtis, Digital Content Producer. Updated September 15, 2026, at 5:48 p.m. EDT.
Information comes from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, including details about the submerged construction vehicle, rescue efforts, recovery operation, and ongoing investigations.
Gulf Coast News, WBBH provided the original reporting and source material. This Dennis Hernandez Injury Attorneys article is an independently written summary based on publicly reported information.
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