Bishopville, SC (WLTX) - A hostage situation involving a group of prisoners and a guard at the Lee Correctional Institution has ended with the rescue of the guard.
Corrections Department Spokesman Clark Newsom announced at 10:15 p.m. Thursday that the event had ended, and the guard was okay.
Emergency response officers entered the facility just before 10 p.m. and found the guard being held in a closet. He had been restrained using his own handcuffs.
According to Newsom, the guard was able to walk out of the facility on his own. The officer had what are described as minor injuries, and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment as a precaution.
The prisoners surrendered peacefully. Newsom says prisoners inside used cell phones to help lead officers to the guard.
Newsome described the whole ordeal as an "unorganized incident."
According to corrections officials, the incident began just before 5 p.m. in the Chesterfield South Dormitory at the maximum security prison.
The prison was quickly put on lockdown.
Newsom says they believe some of the inmates may have made illegal, self-made weapons, such as shanks.
Lee Correctional is what's known as a Level 3 institution, which means it houses violent offenders with longer sentences and behavioral problems.
A similar incident took place at the Special Management Unit at the same prison back on June 5th. In that case, a guard was overpowered as he and a nurse were bringing medication to the men. Previous Coverage: Hostage Situation Ends, Guard Taken to the Hospital
That incident lasted over six hours, and ended when state and local officers decided to enter the facility.