Rescued PA Miners Recount Ordeal (***PICTURES***)

AP ^ | July 28, 2002 | Larry Neumeister

[Alouette]

SOMERSET, Pa. (AP) - The nine coal miners who were rescued from a cramped, flooded shaft Sunday decided early in their 77-hour ordeal that they would "live or die as a group," tying themselves together so all their bodies would be found if they drowned.

They also scrawled last messages to loved ones as they huddled together to keep warm 240 feet below the Earth's surface.

"I didn't think I was going to see my wife and kids again," a teary-eyed Blaine Mayhugh told reporters, hours after being pulled out of the Quecreek Mine in western Pennsylvania.

He, his father-in-law and the seven others were stuck for more than three agonizing days, often in darkness, after water from an abandoned, water-filled mine flooded the shaft where they were working.

A desperate rescue operation that included more than 150 workers, tons of heavy equipment and 18 medical helicopters finally paid off when rescuers reached the miners Sunday morning and pulled them up a narrow shaft, one by one, in a yellow cylindrical capsule.

Though they were covered in coal dust and their heavy-duty clothes were soaked through, the miners emerged in surprisingly good physical condition.

"If you were to meet any of these guys on the street right now, you would not know that they were trapped in a cavern full of water for three days," said Dr. Russell Dumire, a trauma surgeon at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, where six of the men were taken.

One of the miners was in a decompression chamber after experiencing early symptoms of the bends, an excruciating condition caused by sudden changes in pressure, Dumire said. Two others were under observation, including Mayhugh's father-in-law, Thomas Foy, 51.

Foy told family members "he'll never go underground again," said his daughter, Tonya Butler, 26.

At the White House, President Bush "was thrilled to know that all of the miners had been rescued," spokesman Scott Stanzel said.

The miners had two working lights but saved them for forays into the shaft. Mayhugh, 31, said the men were "snuggling each other, laying up against each other, sitting back-to-back to each other, anything to produce body heat."

The miners also huddled around a pipe funneling down warm air.

The miners, Dumire said, "decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group."

Around noon Thursday, Mayhugh asked his boss for a pen when the water in the shaft was rising. "I said, 'I want to write my wife and kids to tell them I love them,'" said Mayhugh, choking back tears.

By 10:16 p.m. Saturday, rescuers had bored through the ceiling where the miners were trapped. The breakthrough let workers drop a telephone and confirm they were alive.

One of the miners reportedly requested chewing tobacco. As a result, Conemaugh hospital was inundated with chewing tobacco though doctors wouldn't immediately allow it, or the beer some miners requested, for fear of dehydration.

At the hospital, hunger overtook the miners, who "pretty much devoured anything that was put in front of them" — doughnuts, sandwiches, soup and coffee, Dumire said.

David Hess, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection, promised a joint federal-state investigation to help determine why underground maps apparently showed the abandoned Saxman Mine some 300 feet away from where the miners were working.

The first miner was pulled through the 26-inch wide hole at about 1 a.m. Sunday — to the wild applause of rescuers. His comrades emerged in roughly 15-minute intervals, with the last one appearing at about 2:45 a.m. Some had chipped American flag decals on the sides of their helmets.

The first to come out, 43-year-old Randy Fogle, had reported feeling chest pains in the mine. Hospital officials said he has a history of heart problems and would remain hospitalized until at least Monday.

The miners surprised medical personnel who had prepared to treat them for symptoms of hypothermia or the bends. Decompression chambers, ambulances and 18 helicopters were at the scene 55 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

After word came the men were alive, the Sipesville Fire Hall, where the families of the men had been gathering, erupted in celebration.

Though the miners had not been heard since Thursday because of the noise of rescue equipment, mining company spokesman John Weir said they "were tapping the whole time they were down there."

The rescue attempt transfixed the nation and the region, a rural area where the hijacked Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11.

The miners became trapped about 9 p.m. Wednesday, when they inadvertently broke into an abandoned, water-filled mine that maps showed to be 300 feet away.

Mayhugh said a 4-foot wall of water — as many as 60 million gallons — came crashing through the breached wall. "We tried to outrun it, but it was too fast," he said.

But they were able to warn a second crew, which escaped.

"They are the heroes. If not for them, there'd be dead bodies," said mine worker Doug Custer, among the group who escaped.

The trapped miners spent roughly five hours in the water, at one point attempting to break through another wall to try to bring the water level down. Instead, the level rose, forcing them to swim in their heavy miners' clothes, Mayhugh said.

Drilling a rescue shaft to the men, who ranged in age from early 30s through early 50s, began more than 20 hours after the accident when a drill rig arrived from West Virginia. Drilling was halted early Friday morning because a 1,500-pound drill bit broke after hitting hard rock about 100 feet down, delaying the effort by 18 hours.

A second rescue shaft was started, and it wasn't until Saturday that measurable progress was being made on both shafts.

Mayhugh's wife, Leslie, said she prayed throughout the ordeal. "I knew I couldn't lose my dad and my husband. I just knew it. It wasn't their day," she said.

Mayhugh said he "feels great" physically. "But emotionally ... it's going to take time to heal."

Sun Jul 28,12:34 PM ET

The third of the 9 trapped miners at the Quecreek Mine is helped out of the rescue capsule in Somerset, Pennsylvania on July 28, 2002. Despite hunger, fatigue and dangerously cold temperatures, rescuers found all nine men alive and in good condition. (Guy Wathen/Pool via Reuters)

Sun Jul 28,12:30 PM ET

Quecreek miner Harry B. Mayhugh prepares to talk to reporters as his wife, Leslie, accompanies him after his release from Somerset Hospital, at the hospital in Somerset, Pa., Sunday, July 28, 2002. Mayhugh is one of the nine trapped miners who were rescued early Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Sun Jul 28,12:24 PM ET

Quecreek miner Harry B. Mayhugh talks to reporters as his wife, Leslie, cries after his release from Somerset Hospital, at the hospital in Somerset, Pa., Sunday, July 28, 2002. Mayhugh is one of the nine trapped miners who were rescued early Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Sun Jul 28,10:06 AM ET

A sign in front of a business proclaims thanks on July 28, 2002, for the rescue of miners from a mine collapse in Somerset, Pennsylvania. Nine Pennsylvania coal miners who were trapped for three days in a flooded mine traveled one-by-one to safety Sunday in a cramped yellow rescue cage hauled up from the shaft 240 (73 metres) underground. REUTERS/Jason Cohn

Sun Jul 28, 9:00 AM ET

A sign near Quecreek Mine in Somerset, Pa., shows a message of thanks Sunday July 28, 2002, for the lives of the nine miners who were rescued early Sunday at Quecreek Mine, after being trapped for over three days underground. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Sun Jul 28, 6:34 AM ET

Rescue workers look on as Miner Dennis J. Hall is hoisted from the Quecreek Mine near Somerset, pennsylvania early Sunday July 28, 2002, where eight fellow miners and he were trapped since late Wednesday. Rescuers began hauling one-by-one the nine Pennsylvania coal miners trapped for three days in a flooded shaft 240 feet (73 metres) underground to the surface in a rescue capsule, officials said on Sunday. Despite hunger, fatigue and dangerously cold temperatures, rescuers found all nine men alive and in good condition late on Saturday. REUTERS/POOL

Sun Jul 28, 6:10 AM ET

Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker takes off his hat to the miners early Sunday, July 28, 2002, in Somerset Pa., after nine miners were pulled one-by-one from the watery, 240-foot-deep shaft where they had been trapped for three days, a jubilant reward for an effort that had been fraught with one gut-wrenching setback after another.(AP Photo/Cesar Laure, POOL)

Sun Jul 28, 6:05 AM ET

Sipesville Fire Chief Mark Zambanini gives the thumbs up sign as miner Mark Popernack, the ninth and final miner, is rescued from the Quecreek mine early Sunday, July 28, 2002, in Somerset Pa. Nine miners were pulled one-by-one from the watery, 240-foot-deep shaft where they had been trapped for three days, a jubilant reward for an effort that had been fraught with one gut-wrenching setback after another.(AP Photo/Cesar Laure, POOL)

Sun Jul 28, 6:01 AM ET

Riggger Tim Martin walks past the empty escape capsule early Sunday, July 28, 2002 in Somerset, Pa. after nine miners were pulled one-by-one from the watery, 240-foot-deep shaft where they had been trapped for three days, a jubilant reward for an effort that had been fraught with one gut-wrenching setback after another.(AP Photo/Cesar Laure, POOL)

Sun Jul 28, 5:23 AM ET

Miner Dennis J. Hall is hoisted from the Quecreek Mine early Sunday July 28, 2002 where eight fellow miners and he were trapped since late Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar/POOL)

Sun Jul 28, 5:11 AM ET

The second of the nine trapped miners at the Quecreek Mine is helped out of the rescue capsule in Somerset, Sunday July 28, 2002. Despite hunger, fatigue and dangerously cold temperatures, rescuers found all nine men alive and in good condition. (AP Photo/Guy Wathen, POOL)

Sun Jul 28, 5:07 AM ET

Rescue workers applaud as the ninth and final miner, Mark Popernack is carried to the medical tent at Quecreek Mine in Somerset, Pa., early Sunday July 28, 2002. Nine miners trapped since Wednesday evening were successfully rescued.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar/POOL)

Sun Jul 28, 5:04 AM ET

Miner John Phillippi is rescued from the Quecreek Mine, Sunday July 28, 2002 in Somerset, Pennsylvania. All nine miners trapped since Wednesday evening were successfully rescued. REUTERS/POOL-Gene J. Puskar

Sun Jul 28, 4:51 AM ET

Rescued miner Robert Pugh is carried to the medical tent at the Quecreek Mine in Somerset, Pa., early Sunday July 28, 2002. Nine miners were rescued after being trapped since Wednesday evening.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar/POOL)

Sun Jul 28, 4:27 AM ET

The last miner gives a thumbs up as he is removed from the Quecreek Mine July 28, 2002 in Somerset, Pennsylvania. Nine Pennsylvania coal miners who were trapped for three days in a flooded mine traveled one-by-one to safety on Sunday in a cramped yellow rescue cage hauled up through a 26-inch (66-cm) wide rescue shaft. (Pool/Reuters)

Sun Jul 28, 4:23 AM ET

Miners at the Quecreek Mine embrace early July 28,2002 after nine of their co-workers were rescued after being trapped in the mine since late Wednesday. Larry Summerville (L), Doug Custer (C) and Jim Weiland right. Custer and Summerville were in the mine at the time of the incident, and escaped by being warned by the team of miners who were trapped. Weiland was about to begin his shift in the mine at the time of the accident. REUTERS/POOL/Gene J. Puskar

Sun Jul 28, 4:17 AM ET

Onlookers cheer as an ambulance carrying the last of nine rescued miners leaves the site of a mine disaster in Somerset, Pennsylvania, on July 28, 2002. All nine miners, who had been trapped 240 feet below the surface since July 24, were safely rescued. REUTERS/Jason Cohn

[The Mayor]

Excellent pictures, Thankyou bump!

[lawgirl]

Great post! We stayed up until 2AM watching- it was a great scene and I was really surprised at what good shape they were all in. A definite miracle.

[Kerberos]

"The broken bit certainly wasn't good news"

That may not be true. They are reporting on Fox News tonight that if the drill bit had not broken, and they had of continued drill unabated, that when they would have broke through to the mine shaft it would have still been too flooded with water and would have backed up into the shaft that they were drilling. That would have pretty much destroyed the rescue effort. However, since they incurred the delay in retrieving and replacing the broken bit, it gave the air pressure, that they were forcing down, time to cause the water to recede.

If that story is true it certainly goes to show that what can sometimes appear as adversity, may in fact be working in your favor. Never give up.

[lawdog]

These men, these people ,that's what so right about America !

[backtobasics]

Like you, I stayed up till the last man was brought up. I also saw the speach by the governor. What a great outcome!

The night the news broke that the miners were trapped, I went to the bedside of my two little daughters and explained to them the situation and we had a bedside prayer for those men. Being only 5 and 7, they had plenty of questions about what all this meant but were happy to offer their prayers.

They woke up last night when all the men had been rescued and when I told them what had happened, the 7 year old said ,"YESSSS!!!"

I was a little frustrated that there had been so little coverage of what was going on at the beginning, but I am glad in the end that they kept it low-key until the last few hours or the media coverage would have been agonizing.

So many things could have gone wrong in the rescue but I am in awe of how precise the whole operation went. Think of the decision made on where to drill that first hole. That, my friends, was a piece of work. Had that first hole been off, then we may still be waiting, wondering.

These guys had all the bases covered such as, drilling a well for pumping water out, drilling a well for pumping in air(and heated air at that)to pressurize the chamber to keep the water level down, providing a seal for the rescue shaft when the bit broke through the ceiling of the chamber to keep the pressure up and the water level from rising and numerous other backup and safety precautions. Even the USN was involved in case the miners suffered pressure sickness.

Thats a lot of "stuff" to pull togeather in a short amount of time. Thats America!

[Hildy]

Let's hope Hollywood doesn't come to this town and ruin it like it does everytime there's a great rescue somewhere.

[3D-JOY]

OH NO!!

I never thought of that. I bet Geraldo is contacting them as I type!

OH NO!!

[3D-JOY]

OH NO!!

I never thought of that. I bet Geraldo is contacting them as I type!

OH NO!!

[bvw]

Even well-known emergency medicince is sometimes steered to what the mob and media wants rather than good medical sense.

[TomB]

Even well-known emergency medicince is sometimes steered to what the mob and media wants rather than good medical sense.

First, you have not one, but several different physicians making independent decisions on the matter, the Navy physicians at the site, and the ER doctors at the Trauma center.

Second, if there were ANY remote possibility of a problem, the Navy physicians would be MORE inclined to use the decompression chambers that THEY brought with them, IF they are being "steered by the media". As things are now, the role of the Navy is mimimized.

Third, IIRC at least some symptoms will appear within 24 hours, so the men are safe.

[bvw]

While the bends is an extreme condition, there are other long-term, subtle effects of decompression and all those wee little nitrogen bubbles forming here and there in the body.

[Ditto]

You people from PA...what was the deal with the governor? Making political hay, or is he an alright guy?

From all accounts, he's a stand-up guy. He was Lt. Gov and took over as Gov when Ridge went to DC. His first act as Governor was to announce that he would not run for re-election this fall and that when his term was over, he was retiring from politics to spent more time with his kids. He was also more than window dressing at this mine rescue. As Lt. Gov., he was in charge of the PA Emergency Agency for nearly 8 years so he knew all the ropes and how to make things happen ASAP. Folks involved in the rescue are giving him lots of credit.

[TomB]

While the bends is an extreme condition, there are other long-term, subtle effects of decompression and all those wee little nitrogen bubbles forming here and there in the body.

Thanks, I'm aware of that. I'm also aware that there are ways of determining the likelyhood of that happening.

You didn't repond to the meat of the other post though, why wouldn't the Navy physicians, experts in the field, not put the men into the chambers for at least a few hours and get the publicity, IF they are being "steered by the media"?

And who says the media wanted the men to not be in decompression chambers?

Bones, comments?

[bvw]

Don't know why. Suspect they may have been overwhlemed, but that's just speculation very removed from the scene. It is troubling that at least one has come down with the bends, as reported and is being properly treated. What about the others? Nice to get home and be with the wife and kids, but I am a worrier and have stated my worry in this regard.

[TomB]

Don't know why

Then for God's sake, why even make the post?

It continually amazes me that there has to be at least one person on every thread second guessing everything that goes on. Multiple experts examined the men and determined them to be OK. One who was THOUGHT to be developing symptoms was put into a decompression chamber, so they obviously weren't averse to using them.

What about the others?

Obviously, they didn't develop symptoms.

I find your rampant speculation rather silly.

[bvw]

Okay that's your free expression.

[TomB]

As I was reading the local paper another fact dawned on me. Not only were the men examined by the Navy physicians AND the Mine Rescue physicians at the scene, they were transported to two different hospitals!

That means that every single one of these people came to the same conclusion more or less independent of each other.

It's this "let's do it just in case" mentality that has health costs skyrocketing.

Let the experts do their jobs.

[bvw]

You're underestimating group think and mob pyschology even among true experts.

[Hacksaw]

While the bends is an extreme condition, there are other long-term, subtle effects of decompression and all those wee little nitrogen bubbles forming here and there in the body.

For a long time, people didn't know what caused it - it used to be called "cassion sickness" because workers building the underwater supports for the Brooklyn Bridge would sometimes become mysteriously disabled after surfacing from the underground chamber they worked in.

Even the designer John Roebling experienced it and I believe had to supervise the work from a bed using a telescope. I don't think he ever recovered.

[TomB]

You're underestimating group think and mob pyschology even among true experts.

And you are paranoid.

How can there be "group think" when they aren't even a group?

These two hospitals aren't even in the same towns.

And I'll trust the Navy expert above all of them. If there was any "group think" going on it would be the Navy guys telling everybody that they had to use these bright, shiny decompression chambers they transported all this way.

So, what "group think" was it that had them decide to NOT put the men in the chambers? What possible reason could there be?