Posted on 05/11/2006 4:38:01 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
BRANT Webb and Todd Russell last night paid an emotional tribute to the men who saved their lives in the Beaconsfield mine collapse.
Speaking publicly for the first time since being freed from their tiny cage 1km below the surface, Mr Webb and Mr Russell thanked people from all over Australia involved in their "great escape".
Mr Webb said: "For all our mates who . . . put their lives on the line for us and worked in dangerous unstable conditions to bring us out -- we owe our lives to them."
The pair had the biggest cheer of the night when MC Eddie McGuire introduced them to a packed Beaconsfield community centre.
"We would really like to thank all the mine rescue teams from all over Australia, especially our Beaconsfield team," Mr Russell said.
While it was a night for celebration Mr Webb and Mr Russell remembered mate Larry Knight who died in the Anzac Day tragedy.
Mr Webb said: "To our fallen comrade Larry and to Jacqui and the kids -- our hearts bleed and break for you."
The event raised more than $500,000 for the Beaconsfield community and donations were still flowing late last night. The miners asked that some of the money be given to the Knight family.
Mr Russell singled out one of the rescuers, "Hatzy," for his mateship, support and confidence.
"When I knew Hatzy was here I said to Brant, 'I'm putting my life in that man's hands'."
Mr Webb replied: "If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me."
Mr Webb also thanked NSW paramedics for their moral support.
"Without them our mental state wouldn't be what it is today; in fact, we would just be blithering idiots up here," he said.
Mr Russell said the support shown by the Beaconsfield locals showed the world the strength of the small community.
Mr Webb singled out Australia Workers Union secretary Bill Shorten for his efforts during and after the rescue.
He also thanked local mining businesses and the Tasmanian Police, "except for that bloke with the speed camera on the way in".
He also heaped praise on the JHT Explosives team that blasted the rock to get to the miners.
About 1000 Beaconsfield locals turned out for the Channel 9 extravaganza, labelled the Beaconsfield Bash.
Among those present were Bali survivor Jason McCartney and rock star Shannon Noll, who sang.
While Mr Webb and Mr Russell were happy to read from their prepared statements, they baulked at a question from Mr McGuire.
Asked what is was like down the mine, Mr Russell replied: "Tell me how big the cheque book is and we'll talk."
What a marvelous, marvelous, marvelous ending.
Didn't I hear of one other drama in Australia which began a few days before and ended a few days after where a father, son and nephew went out in a dingy to go fishing and were lost?
Then THREE WEEKS later the family gets a text message, "I think we have drifted back into range of a cell phone tower, would you come and rescue us?"
They were thirsty and thin, but they had made helmets from their bailing buckets, drunk rain water that fell into the boat, and eaten raw squid (at least 2 of them who could stomach it.)
That is right up there with the rescue, two small miracles.
The most inspiring part of this is the miners who fled for their lives during the collapse THEN went back down to save their mates. The human spirit can be a wonderful thing!
These men obviously have not learned their manners from the way journalists or pacifists thank those who go into harm's way to extricate them.
They're fair dinkum Aussies who will never forget the peril their mates put themselves in to save them.
I searched for the story. It looks like both rescues took place on the same day; the miners got more coverage. They are both fascinating tales of survival.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19100844-1248,00.html
One slight twist to the tale still comes to my mind: one miner, unauthorized and exploring an area of the mine off limits, was the first to scramble into the area where the two were trapped and confirm them to be alive. That is one courageous mate. As I saw the story, he left them water and some glow sticks. He had to toss it down through a crevasse as they were out of sight. He must have done some serious scrambles to get there (I would think). The stories never mention him without including unauthorized and off-limits.
The second story that I found fascinating was about the local welder, I think his name was 'Vinnie Tucks' but I could be wrong, who had made the beefed up cage the men were trapped in so it would stop the rock fall. There is a fellow who deserves to sleep well at night.
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