Ben Hatfield
Ben Hatfield
The Sago Mine disaster was a coal mine explosion on January 2, 2006, at the Sago Mine in Sago, West Virginia, United States, near the Upshur County seat of Buckhannon. The blast and collapse trapped 13 miners for nearly two days; only one survived. It was the worst mining disaster in the United States since the Jim Walter Resources Mine Disaster in Alabama on September 23, 2001, and the worst disaster in West Virginia since the 1968 Farmington Mine Disaster...
initial location miners missing monday multiple remaining reports rough since turned
At that location they encountered a rough barricade structure. With 12 remaining miners that had been missing since the Monday explosion. Initial reports indicated multiple survivors, but that turned out to be a miscommunication.
caused wrong
We don't what went wrong and caused this explosion.
family good looking people share
They were looking desperately for good information. These are friends, family of the people that are trapped. There was desperation for good information. They wanted to share it.
accident cause circumstance federal mine state terrible thorough undertaken
A thorough investigation of the cause and circumstances of this terrible accident will be undertaken by federal and state mine regulatory officials.
again certainly hearts hoped outcome prayed prayers
This is certainly not the outcome that we had hoped for and prayed for. So again our hearts and prayers go out to the families.
area breathing miners safe secure tried
These miners tried desperately to secure an area of safe breathing environment.
clinging families hope progress
Progress has been slow. Families are clinging to every hope of survival.
believed best decisions extreme physical rightly stress
Rightly or wrongly, we made what we believed to be the best decisions ... while working under extreme stress and physical exhaustion.
perspective
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).
believe felt heard heavy miners percussion skilled system
They felt the percussion and heard the noise. We believe they probably encountered heavy smoke, and the ventilation system was obstructed. They then did what skilled miners do.
add communication fact last night problems terrible
It is unfortunate and we are saddened by the fact that the communication problems we experienced last night only add to the terrible tragedy.
crew drill heard minute period process repeated several
They repeated this process several times over a 10 minute period but the drill crew heard no response.
forward moving performing rescue robot teams
The rescue teams are moving forward at an accelerated pace. They're moving faster, performing better than the robot was.
command information spread
That information spread like wildfire, because it had come from the command center.