A tradie who fell down an abandoned mineshaft has shared his grim outlook on the chances of Samantha Murphy surviving if she became trapped in one.
The mother-of-three left her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat, west of Melbourne, to go jogging through Woowookarung Regional Park at about 7am on February 4 and has not been seen since.
Amid speculation around what happened to Ms Murphy, a popular theory has emerged that she fell into one of the many abandoned mineshafts in the area.
Sydney concrete pourer Brad Osborne, 56, revealed he had barely survived falling into a mineshaft four years ago and said Ms Murphy likely would not be alive if she had become trapped in one herself.
He spoke to Daily Mail Australia after a local mineshaft explorer said he believes Ms Murphy could have been abducted by someone living in an abandoned tunnel in the area.
Samantha Murphy (pictured) has not been since she left for a morning run in Woowookarung Regional Park on February 4

Brad Osborne (pictured in hospital) was left with devastating injuries after falling down a mineshaft in 2020
Mr Osborne fell down an old mineshaft in Sunny Corner State Forest, near Lithgow in NSW’s Central Tablelands, in May 2020.
He was left with devastating injuries and is still unable to work or walk properly.
Mr Osborne told Daily Mail Australia he barely survived his horrific fall despite being rescued four hours later.
He said the experience left him with little hope for Ms Murphy if she had indeed fallen into an abandoned shaft.
‘It’s case by case but the fall causes massive injuries,’ he said.
‘Also, it’s cold, wet and dark down there, so you can imagine.’
Mr Osborne recalled riding his motorbike around Sunny Bank with his friend when they came across an old mining tunnel.
As they’d seen no warning signs in the area, the pair decided to explore the tunnel with Mr Osborne going first.
However, disaster struck just moments later when he stepped into an unseen shaft.
‘I didn’t get far in and suddenly there was a hole and I was sliding down on a 45-degree angle,’ he said.
‘I tried to grab onto something but I couldn’t stop falling. I was knocked out as I landed – when I woke up it was pitch black.
‘All I could see was a tiny hole of light about 10m above my head.’

Samantha Murphy (pictured on holidays) was last seen on Sunday February 4

Rescuing Mr Murphy was very difficult and he suffered several broken bones and a dislocated shoulder (pictured, police rescuing Mr Murphy)
Mr Osborne landed on the floor of the pit feet-first and shattered all the bones in his feet and ankles on impact.
He broke several ribs, dislocated his shoulder, broke a bone in the socket and tore a muscle in his bicep. He also suffered severe bruising and cuts.
‘The pain was indescribable, I could barely breathe,’ he said.
However, Mr Osborne said the thing that nearly killed him was the freezing temperature inside the mineshaft.
‘I was hypothermic – shivering and shaking uncontrollably,’ he said.
‘It wouldn’t have been much longer until I was dead when help arrived.’
Mr Osborne’s ordeal continued as rescuers tried to find a way to lift him out of the shaft – a notoriously difficult job.
He said his son Brody, aged 26, watched on as he was half-lifted and half-climbed out of the hole, all while suffering the pain of his horrific injuries.
Local mineshaft explorer Raymond Shaw, from Victorian Historical Mine Shaft Chasers, agreed Ms Murphy likely wouldn’t have survived nine days if she’d fallen inside an old shaft.

Ballarat, including Woowookarung Regional Park, has several abandoned mineshafts (one pictured above)

Local mineshaft explorer Raymond Shaw (pictured) doesn’t believe Ms Murphy could survive more than seven days inside a mineshaft
‘I’ve been down over 200m in Ballarat before. I’m not a fan, there’s not much down there,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘If you fall, you’ll most likely land on your back. You could also break your neck on the way down.
‘If that were the case, you’d likely survive maybe seven days or so.’
He added the conditions inside the shafts would make it difficult to survive.
‘There can be problems with water. There’s also no phone reception and you can’t hear anyone on the surface.
‘There are snakes, but they’re few and far between. Goannas can be an issue, they lay their eggs in there.’
Mr Shaw said he and his wife travelled to Woowookarung Regional Park from Melbourne on Sunday to check 40 mineshafts in 15 locations for any sign of Ms Murphy.
‘We checked all the mines and shallow alluvial workings on Sunday,’ he said.
‘We looked in some very secluded shafts. Nothing or anyone has been in them.’

A large-scale search operation was unable to find any traces of Ms Murphy (pictured) after she disappeared nine days ago

Mr Shaw warned mineshafts can get ‘very hot’ with an average of 27C (pictured, SES searching for Ms Murphy last week)
Mr Shaw believes its ‘highly unlikely’ Ms Murphy fell into a mineshaft.
He also conducted an investigation into his own theory on the 51-year-old’s disappearance.
Mr Shaw said he’s met several people living in abandoned ‘adits’, mining tunnels, in other locations in Victoria.
Following reports of a man harassing female searchers, he questioned whether there could be someone living in the abandoned mine system.
‘I went looking for him. I think he’s living in the adit down by the creek,’ he said.
‘It’s hidden in the bush. We didn’t see anyone down there. There are a few adits down there, one has collapsed a bit.’
He described other adit-dwellers he’s previously met as ‘weirdos who are nice, generally’.
‘They will defend themselves, though,’ he said. ‘Most I’ve met have been inside the adits.’
Ms Murphy left her home in Ballarat East to go for a 14km run early Sunday morning.

Ms Murphy’s eldest daughter, Jess (pictured), and husband, Mick, issued an emotional plea for their loved one to come home on the fifth day of her disappearance

Mr Shaw (pictured in a mineshaft in Ballarat) searched over 40 mines in the area where Ms Murphy went missing but found no trace of her
However, her family became concerned after she failed to show up for their 11am brunch plans.
A major search operation combined resources from police, SES and volunteers to try and find her.
Ms Murphy’s eldest daughter, Jess, and husband, Mick, issued an emotional plea for their loved one to come home on the fifth day of her disappearance.
‘Mum’s a really strong woman, and she’s far too determined to give up this fight,’ Jess tearfully told reporters.
‘Mum, we love you so much, and we miss you. We need you at home with us. Please come home soon. I can’t wait to see you and to give you the biggest hug when I do.
‘And to tell you off for giving us so much stress. I love you.’
Mr Murphy added: ‘People just don’t vanish into thin air. Someone’s got to know something.’
‘Whether it be any little thing that you might think is relevant, just call the police and let them know. It’ll give us a bit of peace of mind, some hope.’
Police announced over the weekend it would ‘scale back’ its search for Ms Murphy.
However, volunteers have continued to coordinate searches in the Woowookarung Regional Park in hopes of finding the missing mother-of-three.
Volunteers were instructed to search in pairs and ensure they have adequate food and water with them.
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