Mine Survivor's Condition Improves

Randal McCloy Jr. returned by helicoptor to Ruby Memorial hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Saturday, after a few days of treatment at Allegheny General in Pittsburgh. The lone survivor of the explosion at Sago Mine which trapped thirteen miners on January 2 in Tallmansville, WV, Mr. McCloy is showing signs of improved organ function and is now breathing on his own. Doctors have withdrawn the sedatives which have kept Mr. McCloy in a medically-induced coma, and hope to see signs of awakening over the next few days.

Randal McCloy Jr spent three days at Allegheny General hospital in Pittsburgh undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatment in an effort to reverse the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning and oxygen deprivation during his 40 hours trapped underground. Doctors sayd the miner's condition continues to improve. His CAT-scan has shown improvements in two areas of hemmoraghe in his brain, and his heart, lungs, liver and kidneys continue to show improvement. He still requires dialysis to assist with kidney function. "We're hoping for a great recovery, but it's just too early to know," Dr. Julian Bailes, chief of neurology at Ruby Memorial hospital, told reporters on Sunday. "This was a severe poisoning, and as I mentioned, carbon monoxide may ultimately affect the brain.

Mr. McCloy's wife, Anna, gave a brief statement on Sunday morning, asking that the other miners' families to be remembered too. Funerals for the twelve miners who died in the Sago mine tragedy continue today.

The Web site of Ruby Memorial hospital offers a patient e-card service, if you wish to send a get-well card to Mr. McCloy.

More on the Sago Mine Tragedy:
Editorial: Putting Things in Perspective
Miner Profiles
Sago Mine Fund
A Miner's Last Farewell
Only One Miracle at Sago Mine