Quecreek Anniversary

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since the night I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to watch a miracle unfold as nine miners, trapped underground for 77 hours in a dark, flooded mine, were brought out alive. A year later, the state has released its final report on the incident, placing the blame on the Quecreek Mine Flood on inaccurate maps and an outdated permitting process.

Last July 24, the miners - Randy Fogle, Thomas Foy, Dennis Hall, Ronald Hileman, Blaine Mayhugh, John Phillippi, Mark Popernack, Robert Pugh, and John Unger - were trapped underground when a coal extraction machine breached the adjacent Saxman Mine, which maps showed to be 300 feet away, sending more than 50 million gallons of water rushing into the Quecreek Mine. It took three days for rescuers to drill down 270 feet to the miners. All nine survived.

Since that night when the miners emerged from the depths of the earth to a national audience, a TV movie and several books have documented their story. Six of the miners have filed suit against the coal company owners. And a grand jury, which has been taking testimony behind closed doors since December, continues its investigation.

The miners have said that not a day goes by that they do not thank their rescuers or God that they are alive. But they also say they suffer from nightmares and anxiety from their harrowing experience at the Quecreek Mine. Most of the nine men also say they will never set foot underground again. Only Randy Fogle has returned to work in the mines.

An anniversary celebration will be held in Somerset on Saturday to mark the one year anniversary of the rescue at Quecreek. As part of the festivities, a miner statue will be unveiled at the site of the rescue.

Related Resources:
Quecreek - The Story
Quecreek Rescue - Photo Gallery
Coal Mines & Mining in Pennsylvania