In coming days as the surviving miner Randal McCloy is recovering hopefully he'll be able to tell investigators what may have happened that caused the explosion...so thankful that his brain wasn't damaged and also that he didn't have any significant amount of carbon monoxide in his body or none at all.
Also, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Sago Mine is closed down permanently from what has happened.
Eric
12 dead in WV mine; 1 survivor
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Skywatch_NC
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TexasStooge
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Coal official: 'miners' fate known after 20 minutes'
TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) -- A coal company executive says it became clear within 20 minutes that the news anxious family members had received about the survival of a dozen trapped miners was terribly wrong.
Yet for three hours, church bells rang in celebration, families joined arm-in-arm to sing joyous hymns, the governor proclaimed it a miracle, and television newscasts and newspapers spread the word around the world.
When the truth finally unfolded early Wednesday, with families members called back and told the 12 were actually dead and only one miner survived, joy turned instantly to fury and a scuffle broke out when relatives lunged at a coal company official.
International Coal Group Inc. chief executive Ben Hatfield said families were not told of the mistake until three hours later because officials wanted to have all the information right first.
"Let's put this in perspective. Who do I tell not to celebrate? I didn't know if there were 12 or one (who were alive). Until we had people who could measure the vital signs ... we didn't want to put the families through another roller coaster," Hatfield said.
Neither Hatfield nor Gov. Joe Manchin would say who was responsible for the misinformation, but Hatfield told reporters that he believed someone overheard communications from rescuers who had been communicating from a special mine phone after they reached the bodies.
Whoever overheard misunderstood the information and someone relayed it to the families, Hatfield said.
That word came just before midnight, and to relatives who feared the worst about the 13 miners trapped 260 feet underground following an explosion Monday, it was as if their prayers had been answered.
"A person said, 'There are miracles -- 12 alive and one dead!"' said John Casto, who was inside when the man he couldn't identify ran to the front of the church and made the proclamation. "They started clapping, hollering and shouting."
Several relatives, who danced and praised God as the church bells rang, said an unidentified mine foreman had called someone at the church on a cell phone to relay the information.
A few minutes later, Casto said Wednesday, another man -- he doesn't know who -- came to church and said squads cars would pick up the miners and bring them to the church where they would be reunited with their families. The man said "it would be like another Christmas," Casto said, chocking back tears.
Then the families waited. Three hours later, Hatfield and Manchin appeared at the church to announce that there had been a miscommunication and all but one miner was dead.
Casto said it took a while for relatives to absorb the news. And then a pastor had to tell the angry crowd to calm down.
"'Whatever the hell did God do for us?"' a young man shouted in reply, Casto said.
Ann Merideth, whose father, Jim Bennett, was trapped in the mine, said she was giving thanks in the church until she learned he had died. But still, "I don't blame God for this," she said.
Merideth's husband, Daniel, said family members were visibly angry and lunged at a coal company official.
"They are lucky they have the patrolmen they had," Daniel Merideth said.
Manchin spoke to The Associated Press from his cell phone shortly after relatives said they had received word the miners were safe.
"The rescue people have been talking to us. They told us they have 12 alive," Manchin said.
He said later he went to the mine site to try to confirm the news when rescuers said there had been miscommunication and not all had survived.
TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) -- A coal company executive says it became clear within 20 minutes that the news anxious family members had received about the survival of a dozen trapped miners was terribly wrong.
Yet for three hours, church bells rang in celebration, families joined arm-in-arm to sing joyous hymns, the governor proclaimed it a miracle, and television newscasts and newspapers spread the word around the world.
When the truth finally unfolded early Wednesday, with families members called back and told the 12 were actually dead and only one miner survived, joy turned instantly to fury and a scuffle broke out when relatives lunged at a coal company official.
International Coal Group Inc. chief executive Ben Hatfield said families were not told of the mistake until three hours later because officials wanted to have all the information right first.
"Let's put this in perspective. Who do I tell not to celebrate? I didn't know if there were 12 or one (who were alive). Until we had people who could measure the vital signs ... we didn't want to put the families through another roller coaster," Hatfield said.
Neither Hatfield nor Gov. Joe Manchin would say who was responsible for the misinformation, but Hatfield told reporters that he believed someone overheard communications from rescuers who had been communicating from a special mine phone after they reached the bodies.
Whoever overheard misunderstood the information and someone relayed it to the families, Hatfield said.
That word came just before midnight, and to relatives who feared the worst about the 13 miners trapped 260 feet underground following an explosion Monday, it was as if their prayers had been answered.
"A person said, 'There are miracles -- 12 alive and one dead!"' said John Casto, who was inside when the man he couldn't identify ran to the front of the church and made the proclamation. "They started clapping, hollering and shouting."
Several relatives, who danced and praised God as the church bells rang, said an unidentified mine foreman had called someone at the church on a cell phone to relay the information.
A few minutes later, Casto said Wednesday, another man -- he doesn't know who -- came to church and said squads cars would pick up the miners and bring them to the church where they would be reunited with their families. The man said "it would be like another Christmas," Casto said, chocking back tears.
Then the families waited. Three hours later, Hatfield and Manchin appeared at the church to announce that there had been a miscommunication and all but one miner was dead.
Casto said it took a while for relatives to absorb the news. And then a pastor had to tell the angry crowd to calm down.
"'Whatever the hell did God do for us?"' a young man shouted in reply, Casto said.
Ann Merideth, whose father, Jim Bennett, was trapped in the mine, said she was giving thanks in the church until she learned he had died. But still, "I don't blame God for this," she said.
Merideth's husband, Daniel, said family members were visibly angry and lunged at a coal company official.
"They are lucky they have the patrolmen they had," Daniel Merideth said.
Manchin spoke to The Associated Press from his cell phone shortly after relatives said they had received word the miners were safe.
"The rescue people have been talking to us. They told us they have 12 alive," Manchin said.
He said later he went to the mine site to try to confirm the news when rescuers said there had been miscommunication and not all had survived.
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cycloneye
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I see many Lawsuits comming.
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TexasStooge
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Brent wrote:That's my major issue with this... WHY wasn't the families then notified? They've could have at least told them the report that all alive wasn't true...
Its about politics these days my friends, the federal gov't has such loose labor laws which are rarely enoforced. That records of violation just got worse, that mine should have been shut down.
Big Business is ruthless when it comes to the bottom line, I have a feeling this company will have hell to pay. As long as CEO's make 300 times more than the bottom people making it happen things won't change. Don't mean to sound political, but its a sad reality.
My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the mine workers who died.
Last edited by TexasStooge on Wed Jan 04, 2006 12:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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TexasStooge
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Mine survivor had youth on his side
ALLISON BARKER Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Randal McCloy Jr., the sole survivor of an explosion that killed 12 of 13 miners, was the youngest of the group, a factor that could have contributed to his rescue, doctors said.
"Youth always has its advantages," Dr. Lawrence Roberts said at a briefing Wednesday at West Virginia University's Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.
McCloy, 27, was transferred there early Wednesday from another hospital and remained in critical condition; doctors said they were hopeful because he was showing signs of brain function.
Most of the other miners were in their 50s. While citing McCloy's youth, Roberts stressed he did not know the health status of the other miners.
The miners had been trapped 260 feet below the surface of the Sago Mine since an explosion early Monday. Authorities had told families late Tuesday that 12 of the 13 had survived, but later reversed themselves, prompting shock and outrage among the assembled relatives.
McCloy has worked in the mines for three years, "but he was looking to get out," his wife, Anna, had said earlier as she awaited word on the miners. "It was too dangerous."
He has been taking electronics classes for some time, she said.
The McCloys have a 4-year-old son, Randal III, and 1-year-old, Isabel. The couple had met in grade school and have been together for 12 years. Said McCloy's mother, Tambra Flint: "He was just trying to make a living for his family."
Lila Muncy, McCloy's younger sister, had said that before her brother went into the mine each day he told his wife, "God is with you."
"We were always raised to have faith," she said. "I'm not going anywhere until I see my brother's face."
Charles Green, McCloy's father-in-law, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that his daughter has been able to visit with McCloy but has not been able to talk to him because of the ventilator.
"He was making noises, you know, moaning and stuff, which is a good sign," Green said.
Doctors said McCloy had little carbon monoxide in his blood and showed signs of improvement.
"He is moving and responding to stimuli and the things that we're doing," Roberts said.
"It means that he has brain function, central nervous system function if he responds to stimuli. That's good."
Roberts said McCloy suffered one collapsed lung, and remained very dehydrated. But there was no sign of broken bones or other injuries, he said.
"I'm hopeful that he can make a recovery," Roberts said.
It was the state's deadliest mining accident since November 1968, when 78 men died in an explosion at a mine in Marion County.
ALLISON BARKER Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Randal McCloy Jr., the sole survivor of an explosion that killed 12 of 13 miners, was the youngest of the group, a factor that could have contributed to his rescue, doctors said.
"Youth always has its advantages," Dr. Lawrence Roberts said at a briefing Wednesday at West Virginia University's Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.
McCloy, 27, was transferred there early Wednesday from another hospital and remained in critical condition; doctors said they were hopeful because he was showing signs of brain function.
Most of the other miners were in their 50s. While citing McCloy's youth, Roberts stressed he did not know the health status of the other miners.
The miners had been trapped 260 feet below the surface of the Sago Mine since an explosion early Monday. Authorities had told families late Tuesday that 12 of the 13 had survived, but later reversed themselves, prompting shock and outrage among the assembled relatives.
McCloy has worked in the mines for three years, "but he was looking to get out," his wife, Anna, had said earlier as she awaited word on the miners. "It was too dangerous."
He has been taking electronics classes for some time, she said.
The McCloys have a 4-year-old son, Randal III, and 1-year-old, Isabel. The couple had met in grade school and have been together for 12 years. Said McCloy's mother, Tambra Flint: "He was just trying to make a living for his family."
Lila Muncy, McCloy's younger sister, had said that before her brother went into the mine each day he told his wife, "God is with you."
"We were always raised to have faith," she said. "I'm not going anywhere until I see my brother's face."
Charles Green, McCloy's father-in-law, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that his daughter has been able to visit with McCloy but has not been able to talk to him because of the ventilator.
"He was making noises, you know, moaning and stuff, which is a good sign," Green said.
Doctors said McCloy had little carbon monoxide in his blood and showed signs of improvement.
"He is moving and responding to stimuli and the things that we're doing," Roberts said.
"It means that he has brain function, central nervous system function if he responds to stimuli. That's good."
Roberts said McCloy suffered one collapsed lung, and remained very dehydrated. But there was no sign of broken bones or other injuries, he said.
"I'm hopeful that he can make a recovery," Roberts said.
It was the state's deadliest mining accident since November 1968, when 78 men died in an explosion at a mine in Marion County.
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Stephanie
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Miss Mary wrote:I have a terrible cold right now and couldn't sleep around 3 a.m. Got online and read the tragic, tragic news. I went back to sleep in shock mode. After I dropped my daughter off to school this morning, we needed milk. Stopped for some. I then saw USA Today's front page headline - 12 Miners Found Alive. Same in my local Cincinnati Enquirer. We were all discussing this turn of events in my local 7/11, shocked, stunned, and outraged for the families.
I simply can't imagine what these poor families are going thru today but an image keeps coming to mind - imagine telling your child that daddy is okay and coming home. Only to tell him/her that it's not true. How in the world do you tell a child something like this?
Finally, what I can't let go of, mine officials knew they weren't alive, for 3 hours and chose not to tell family members.
I smell major law suits here. Major. And they'd be justified, IMO. I'd also have armed guards if I were that company president. Grief can make people just snap. This story isn't over yet.
Mary
PS - online newspaper editions have corrected their front page headlines now. But I have both papers, in print, stating they were found alive. Unforgivable.
The Philadelphia Inquirer had them listed as alive in their headlines as well.
I hope that the company rots in hades and the families take them for everything that they have. I ALSO think that whoever is incharge of inspecting these companies and not permanently closing them down should be held criminally liable as well!
There is ABSOLUTELY no excuse for this!!!!
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Miss Mary
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therock1811
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Very sad situation indeed. I was awake at midnight last night and that was when they said the 12 were alive. WLWT-TV had the scroll running across the screen by 12:50am. I went to sleep around 2:15am thinking that 12 had survived. Then I wake up at 12:30pm today to find this??? What on earth was that coal company's CEO smoking, to get everyone's hopes sky-high like that only to shoot that down 3 hours later?
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HurryKane
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I don't think the CEO did it deliberately. From current reports it appears some family members (or someone who spoke to them) overheard and misunderstood a cell phone conversation and mistook something like 'found 12' to be 'found 12 alive.'
The CEO made this point about waiting so long to tell the family members: if they know one is alive, but they don't know which one, do you go in and tell them, hey everybody, only one family is going home happy tonight and I don't know who it is yet?
What to do at that point was a tough call. I definitely think it could have been handled better, but I do understand the CEO's concern.
Lawsuits would be much better directed at the fact that this company had numerous safety violations that they did not correct, than at the misinformation part. Tensions are high and people desperate for a little bit of hope can turn any neutral comments (found 12) into something they're hoping to hear (found 12 alive).
Thoughts go out to the families and to the young man fighting to survive.
The CEO made this point about waiting so long to tell the family members: if they know one is alive, but they don't know which one, do you go in and tell them, hey everybody, only one family is going home happy tonight and I don't know who it is yet?
What to do at that point was a tough call. I definitely think it could have been handled better, but I do understand the CEO's concern.
Lawsuits would be much better directed at the fact that this company had numerous safety violations that they did not correct, than at the misinformation part. Tensions are high and people desperate for a little bit of hope can turn any neutral comments (found 12) into something they're hoping to hear (found 12 alive).
Thoughts go out to the families and to the young man fighting to survive.
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Stephanie
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Lawsuits would be much better directed at the fact that this company had numerous safety violations that they did not correct, than at the misinformation part. Tensions are high and people desperate for a little bit of hope can turn any neutral comments (found 12) into something they're hoping to hear (found 12 alive).
I was refering to the safety concerns with regards to the lawsuits. I DO understand the CEO's concern at that time regarding getting all of the facts before breaking the news as to who survived and who didn't.
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gtalum
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There will certainly be lawsuits, and settlements in the issue of the collapse itself. It will be interestign to see what happens, though, in any lawsuits brought regarding the dissemination of incorrect information. I'm not sure they can prove real damages from that. On the other hand, all they have to do is convince a jury.
If ICG is smart, there won't be any lawsuits because they'll offer generous settlements right up front.
If ICG is smart, there won't be any lawsuits because they'll offer generous settlements right up front.
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therock1811
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HurryKane wrote:Hi Stephanie, I was replying to therock1811's last comment in the post above mine. Apologies that I wasn't clearer
Yeah, but still. The fact remains that the miscommunication did not get cleared up for 3 HOURS! THAT's what upsets me. He could have just gone to the church and cleared things up BEFORE news agencies got that erroneous information. He could have said something to the effect that they had found 12 miners but weren't sure they were still alive.
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Miss Mary
I'm with Jeremy. I can't let go of the 3 hour time frame either. I can see why he wouldn't want to give more info if it wasn't 100% correct, but for this group to think their loved ones survived when in fact they hadn't or a good number hadn't, is just unbelievable. So many people are talking about it. I saw the USA paper in Kroger's today, still with misprint. Many nearby said what a sad, sad story. You stand there and stare at that headline. Wishing so much it was true.
Mary
Mary
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brunota2003
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Here it is, the truth, and now I'm pissed off...:
TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. - The head of the company that owns a West Virginia coal mine where 12 miners died said the owners "sincerely regret" that families erroneously believed for three hours that their loved ones were alive.
Ben Hatfield said about 45 minutes after an initial erroneous report that 12 miners had survived, word came that all but one of the miners were dead. He said the immediate reaction was that the report could be wrong. And he said company officials didn't feel it was prudent to pass that along to families, without being sure.
He said, "In the process of being cautious, we allowed the jubilation to go on longer than it should have."
Most of the 13 coal miners trapped in an explosion survived the blast itself, then retreated deeper into the mine and hung up a curtain-like barrier to keep out toxic gases while they waited to be rescued, officials said Wednesday. All but one were found dead after more than a day and a half.
The miners' families learned of the 12 deaths during a harrowing night in which they were mistakenly told at first that 12 of the men were alive. It took three hours before the families were told the truth, and their joy turned instantly to fury.
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gtalum
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HurryKane wrote:Lawsuits would be much better directed at the fact that this company had numerous safety violations that they did not correct, than at the misinformation part.
It's important to note, though, thet the current owner of the mine has only been running the place since November 21. The vast majority of violations were before that date.
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