Only One Miracle at Sago Mine
Wednesday January 4, 2006
After the exciting news that twelve miners trapped for more than 40 hours in the Sago Mine were found alive, it has now been reported that this was a tragic miscommunication. Twelve of the miners were found deceased, and the thirteenth miner, 27-year-old Randal L. McCloy, Jr. is listed in critical condition at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV, after first being stablized at St. Joseph Hospital in Upshur County.
Updates:
Mine Survivor's Condition Improves
Miner Profiles
Sago Mine Fund
A Miner's Last Farewell
One of the deceased miners appears to have been killed by the initial blast, according to Ben Hatfield, CEO of International Coal Group which operates the mine. The other twelve miners survived at least long enought to make their way to a better location where they donned their oxygen masks and erected a barricade to keep out noxious gases. Only one was still breathing, although unconcious, when found by the rescuers. It is believed that the rest may have succumbed to carbon monoxide in the mine. It is not known how long the miners survived. ''It's sorrow beyond belief,'' Mr. Hatfield said during a news conference.
The miscommunication appears to have begun when someone misunderstood a cell phone conversation they had overheard and passed the news on to family members. "In reality, the call was reporting that the 12 miners had been found, without information about their condition," Ben Hatfield told the Associated Press. From there, the news spread like wildfire. Officials on the scene soon learned that this initial report wasn't accurate, but chose to wait before reporting this new information to the families until they were able to confirm the number of miners found deceased. ''Let's put this in perspective. Who do I tell not to celebrate? I didn't know if there were 12 or 1 (who were alive),'' Hatfield said.
Almost three hours passed before the final confirmation was made and the families were informed of the tragic deaths of their loved ones. The family members are understandably angry and confused. West Virginia governor Joe Manchin has pledged to search for answers, both about the mine explosion and about the miscommunication regarding the deaths of their loved ones.
The sole survivor of the explosion at Sago mine, Randal McCloy, is a husband and father of two toddlers. He's been a miner for three years, making him the greenest of the experienced bunch of miners trapped in the mine. Nine of the deceased miners had more than 30 years experience. Anna McCloy said her husband, Randal, wanted a safer job but couldn't find anything that paid as well as mining. Coal mining is a way of life in Sago, and in many other similar communities in West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania.
The deceased miners include Alva Martin "Marty" Bennett, 50; Jim Bennett, 61; Jerry Groves, 57; George Hamner Jr.; Terry Helms, 50; David Lewis, 28; Martin Toler, 50; Fred Ware Jr., 59; Jack Weaver, 52; and Marshall Winans, 49.
The Sago mine is owned by Anker West Virginia Mining Co., which was recently purchased by International Coal Group. Since October, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued 50 citations to Sago mine, some as recently as Dec. 21, including citations for accumulation of combustible materials such as coal dust and loose coal. Mine officials say that all of these violations have since been addressed. View the latest government inspection records for the Sago Mine. The Sago Mine has also had a number of reported accidents, including a history of roof falls.
MSHA Acting Assistant Secretary David Dye issued the following statement on the Sago Mine incident in Buckhannon, W.Va.: "Now that the rescue and recovery phases of this operation are nearing completion, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will begin an in-depth investigation of the accident. This starts with the appointment of a separate MSHA investigative team that will evaluate all aspects of the accident and response, including compliance with all federal health and safety standards, and how emergency information was relayed about the trapped miners' conditions. As always, the purpose of MSHA's investigation will be to improve mine health and safety and prevent such tragedies in the future."
Our thoughts and prayers, as well as those of the nation and world go out to the miner's families.
See previous updates on the mine explosion and rescue
Updates:
Mine Survivor's Condition Improves
Miner Profiles
Sago Mine Fund
A Miner's Last Farewell
One of the deceased miners appears to have been killed by the initial blast, according to Ben Hatfield, CEO of International Coal Group which operates the mine. The other twelve miners survived at least long enought to make their way to a better location where they donned their oxygen masks and erected a barricade to keep out noxious gases. Only one was still breathing, although unconcious, when found by the rescuers. It is believed that the rest may have succumbed to carbon monoxide in the mine. It is not known how long the miners survived. ''It's sorrow beyond belief,'' Mr. Hatfield said during a news conference.
The miscommunication appears to have begun when someone misunderstood a cell phone conversation they had overheard and passed the news on to family members. "In reality, the call was reporting that the 12 miners had been found, without information about their condition," Ben Hatfield told the Associated Press. From there, the news spread like wildfire. Officials on the scene soon learned that this initial report wasn't accurate, but chose to wait before reporting this new information to the families until they were able to confirm the number of miners found deceased. ''Let's put this in perspective. Who do I tell not to celebrate? I didn't know if there were 12 or 1 (who were alive),'' Hatfield said.
Almost three hours passed before the final confirmation was made and the families were informed of the tragic deaths of their loved ones. The family members are understandably angry and confused. West Virginia governor Joe Manchin has pledged to search for answers, both about the mine explosion and about the miscommunication regarding the deaths of their loved ones.
The sole survivor of the explosion at Sago mine, Randal McCloy, is a husband and father of two toddlers. He's been a miner for three years, making him the greenest of the experienced bunch of miners trapped in the mine. Nine of the deceased miners had more than 30 years experience. Anna McCloy said her husband, Randal, wanted a safer job but couldn't find anything that paid as well as mining. Coal mining is a way of life in Sago, and in many other similar communities in West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania.
The deceased miners include Alva Martin "Marty" Bennett, 50; Jim Bennett, 61; Jerry Groves, 57; George Hamner Jr.; Terry Helms, 50; David Lewis, 28; Martin Toler, 50; Fred Ware Jr., 59; Jack Weaver, 52; and Marshall Winans, 49.
The Sago mine is owned by Anker West Virginia Mining Co., which was recently purchased by International Coal Group. Since October, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued 50 citations to Sago mine, some as recently as Dec. 21, including citations for accumulation of combustible materials such as coal dust and loose coal. Mine officials say that all of these violations have since been addressed. View the latest government inspection records for the Sago Mine. The Sago Mine has also had a number of reported accidents, including a history of roof falls.
MSHA Acting Assistant Secretary David Dye issued the following statement on the Sago Mine incident in Buckhannon, W.Va.: "Now that the rescue and recovery phases of this operation are nearing completion, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will begin an in-depth investigation of the accident. This starts with the appointment of a separate MSHA investigative team that will evaluate all aspects of the accident and response, including compliance with all federal health and safety standards, and how emergency information was relayed about the trapped miners' conditions. As always, the purpose of MSHA's investigation will be to improve mine health and safety and prevent such tragedies in the future."
Our thoughts and prayers, as well as those of the nation and world go out to the miner's families.
See previous updates on the mine explosion and rescue
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