The two miners trapped underground in a Tasmanian mine since last Tuesday have been found alive and well. The men are still trapped underground but a camera has gotten through to them and they are still alive and seem to be okay. The two miners have been able to have a conversation with the rescue team. Rescuers have called in all the miners to start work getting them out. It is expected they will have them out early tomorrow.
The incident killed their workmate, 44-year-old Larry Knight, whose body was retrieved on Thursday.
Update: Both men are inside a metal cage on a cherry picker they were working in when the rockfall happened. A rock has fallen on top of the cage, shutting them inside, and the pair are forced to sit in the cramped structure which is just 1.2m by 1.2m. The rescuers priority is to get fresh water and food to the men, along with better communication equipment by pushing it through a long tube before they attempt to extract them from the mine. Having been sitting for so long, neither of the men will be able to walk. The pair have survived on drips of heavily mineralised and rancid water running through the mine.
Update 2: Rescuers have drilled a narrow hole through 12m of rock through which a 100mm PVC pipe was inserted and water, biscuits, tablets and protein drinks passed to the two miners. It may take more than two more days to free them.
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Categories: Australia
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April 30th, 2006 at 4:03:36 pm
I’m streaming from ABC NewsRadio. (It’s 6:02 a.m. AEST at the moment). The miners are still underground but okay.
April 30th, 2006 at 6:59:21 pm
Thanks Melanie, and Colin. Good News but still a Nailbiting situation. A prayer that they are able to extract the men soon.
April 30th, 2006 at 11:28:34 pm
Good to hear !
May 1st, 2006 at 12:43:12 pm
Melanie - you may need to translate some of the technical terms and values in your update for the benefit of your American readership …
“Update 2: Rescuers have drilled a narrow hole through 12m {approx. 40 feet} of rock through which a 100mm {10 CM = approx 4 inches in diameter} PVC pipe was inserted and water, biscuits {cookies} , tablets {pills/capsules/supplements} and protein drinks passed to the two miners. It may take more than two more days to free them.”
(grin)
I also have to suspect that the pipe is probably being used to ensure that the trapped men get enough oxygen, too …
Once freed, they will have quite a tale to tell their grandkids !
May 1st, 2006 at 8:49:10 pm
Typical American - expect the rest of the world to conform to your standards ;)
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:41:11 pm
Typical Aussie ex-transportee broad ! Not quite able to handle the flexibility of side-by-side measures !
(grin)
So - are they out yet ? Are they out yet ? Huh ? Huh ?
(bigger grin)
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:04:47 pm
Lol, Alasdair. Final drilling of the last 40 feet due to start today. Once they get started, they expect it to be around 48 hours until they are free.
April 15th, 2007 at 1:24:01 am
[…] was heart wrenching stuff. Grown men could be seen shedding a tear, first at the news of Larry’s passing and later at the realisation that Naomi Robson would be on their televisions for longer then anyone […]