1 Survived-not 12.

[Ouchyfish]

12 of 13 W. Va. Miners Confirmed Dead By JENNIFER C. YATES, Associated Press Writer

TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. - In a stunning and heartbreaking reversal, family members were told early Wednesday that 12 of 13 trapped coal miners were dead — three hours after they began celebrating news that they were alive.

The sole survivor, Randal McCloy, was in critical condition but showing no sign of brain damage or carbon monoxide poisoning after being trapped for 1 1/2 days, a doctor said. At 27, McCloy was the youngest in the group.

The devastating new information about the others shocked and angered family members, who had rejoiced with Gov. Joe Manchin hours earlier when a report began to spread that 12 miners were alive. Rescue crews found the first victim earlier Tuesday evening.

"I can only say there was no one who did anything intentionally other than risk their lives to save their loved ones," Manchin told ABC's "Good Morning America."

"No one can say anything about that would make anything any better," he said. "Just a horrible situation."

McCloy was unconscious but moaning when he arrived at a hospital, the hospital said.

McCloy was transferred to the intensive care unit of West Virginia University's Ruby Memory Hospital at Morgantown, where he remained in critical condition. Doctors said he was under sedation and on a ventilator to aid his breathing and there was no immediate sign of brain damage.

"He responds to stimuli and that's good," Dr. Lawrence Roberts said at a briefing. There was no sign of carbon monoxide poisoning, he said. Most of the other miners were in their 50s, and doctors said that McCloy's age may have helped him.

Charles Green, McCloy's father-in-law, told ABC that when he found out his son-in law was the only survivor, "I was still devastated. My whole family's heart goes out to them other families."

Thirteen miners had been trapped 260 feet below the surface of the Sago Mine since an explosion early Monday. The mine is located about 100 miles northeast of Charleston. As rescue workers tried to get to the men, families waited at the Sago Baptist Church during an emotional two-day vigil.

But late Tuesday night, families began streaming out of the church, yelling "They're alive!" The church's bells began ringing and families embraced, as politicians proclaimed word of the apparent rescue a miracle.

As an ambulance drove away from the mine carrying what families believed was the first survivor, they applauded, not yet knowing there were no others.

Though the governor announced that there were 12 survivors, he later indicated he was uncertain about the news. As word buzzed through the church of survivors, he tried to find out what was going on, he said.

"All of a sudden we heard the families in a euphoric state, and all the shouting and screaming and joyfulness, and I asked my detachments, I said, 'Do you know what's happening?' Because we were wired in and we didn't know," Manchin said.

International Coal Group Chief Executive Officer Ben Hatfield blamed the wrong information on a "miscommunication." The news spread after people overheard cell phone calls, he said. In reality, rescuers had only confirmed finding 12 miners and were checking their vital signs. At least two family members in the church said they received cell phone calls from a mine foreman.

"That information spread like wildfire, because it had come from the command center," he said.

Three hours later, Hatfield told the families that "there had been a lack of communication, that what we were told was wrong and that only one survived," said John Groves, whose brother Jerry Groves was one of the trapped miners.

"There was no apology. There was no nothing. It was immediately out the door," said Nick Helms, son of miner Terry Helms.

Chaos broke out in the church and a fight started. About a dozen state troopers and a SWAT team were positioned along the road near the church because police were concerned about violence. Witnesses said one man had to be wrestled to the ground when he lunged for mining officials.

Company officials waited to correct the information until they knew more about the rescue, Hatfield said.

"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)," Hatfield said.

The explosion was the state's deadliest mining accident since November 1968, when 78 men — including the uncle of Manchin — died in an explosion at Consol's Farmington No. 9 mine in Marion County, an hour's drive north of here. Nineteen bodies remain entombed in the mountain. It was that disaster that prompted Congress to pass the Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.

It was also the worst nationwide since a pair of explosions tore through the Jim Walter Resources No. 5 mine in Brookwood, Ala., on Sept. 23, 2001, killing 13.

Federal Department of Labor officials promised an investigation. Acting Assistant Secretary David Dye, who heads the Mine Safety and Health Administration, said it will include "how emergency information was relayed about the trapped miners' conditions."

The 12 miners were found together behind a barrier they had constructed to block carbon monoxide gas. They were found near where the company had drilled an air hole early Tuesday in an attempt to contact the men.

The miners had stretched a piece of fabric across an area about 20 feet wide to block out the gas, Hatfield said. The fabric is designed for miners to use as a barrier. Each miner had carried a breathing apparatus and had been able to use it, according to mining officials.

The hole also was used to check air quality in the mine, which revealed high concentrations of carbon monoxide. The odorless, colorless gas can be lethal at high doses. At lower levels, it can cause headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, fatigue and brain damage.

Manchin, who had earlier said that the state believed in miracles, tried to focus on the news that one had survived.

"We're clinging to one miracle when we were hoping for 13," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Vicki Smith, Allen G. Breed and Mark Williams in Tallmansville contributed to this report.


---------------------------------------------------------------


That has to be terrible. To hear a loved one is dead is one thing but to be given hope only to be shot down has to be hell.

[Kramer]

yeah, really sad that somehow they said "all 12 are dead" and the company heard "all 12 are ALIVE".......

[Martrae]

Apparently, they said they found 12 and were checking for vital signs...which somehow got interpreted as 12 were alive.

[Tuggan]

so i guess the first report of the 'body found' is the survivor? what a mind fuck for those families, jesus christ.

[Eziekial]

Coal miners? Why in the world are we still using people to mine anything anymore?

[Tossica]

Coal miners? Why in the world are we still using people to mine anything anymore?

I assume it's because there is a profit in the equation somewhere?

[Adivina]

Those poor people. To wait for days thinking about whether your family member is alive or dead, then to suddenly feel the elation of thinking they are alive, only to have that crushed again.

[Captain Insano]

Coal miners? Why in the world are we still using people to mine anything anymore?

because all the naughty little childrens are grounded in their bedrooms playing Xbox 360 instead of doing the job.

[Ouchyfish]

50% of our electricity comes from it supposedly. As to why...because tree-huggers don't like nuclear reactors and we haven't found a way to mine dilithium crystals yet.

[Spazz]

No legit reasons not to like nucAler power ouchyfist ?

[Ouchyfish]

Pick your poison. I personally prefer nuclear reactors over the burning of coal.

[Captain Insano]

i think we should farm illegal aliens and burn them.

[Diekan]

It seems the message was confused while being relayed from inside the mine to the control tent. I don't think anyone did it on purpose... of course of the entire event the stupid media is focusing on that ONE factor.

[Minrott]

No the one body found was dead, the one survivor was barricaded in with the 11 other men. Apparently what it sounds like is the Governor heard they were "checking vital signs" and decided that everybody would love to re-elect him if he was the one that got to tell them there were 12 found alive. I hope it all comes down and he gets his shit pushed in in the next election.

[brinstar]

YOU REQUIRE MORE VESPENE GAS

[labbats]

No the one body found was dead, the one survivor was barricaded in with the 11 other men. Apparently what it sounds like is the Governor heard they were "checking vital signs" and decided that everybody would love to re-elect him if he was the one that got to tell them there were 12 found alive. I hope it all comes down and he gets his shit pushed in in the next election.

Spot the Training Day reference for 10 points.

[Spazz]

All i can think of is shit pushed in for the training day reference

[labbats]

No, it was this.


That's right, Jimmy Crack Corn. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Oh, you're federally fucked now. You got crack... and a gun. You know with your record you can get 10 years per bullet? Now you gon' gimme a name.


Thanks for playing though.

[Ouchyfish]

I had heard that there was someone involved with the families that overheard they were checking for vital signs and then went out screaming "THEY'RE ALIVE!" to everyone. (Admittedly, No reference on this-just hearsay.)


Imagine how fucked up it was to be trapped with 11 dead friends around you for days in a small cave? How fucked up is THAT?

[Adivina]

Imagine how fucked up it was to be trapped with 11 dead friends around you for days in a small cave? How fucked up is THAT?

That thought was running through my head when I read Min's post *shudder*

[Lionking]

It should be a law that every obese fucker should be required to go to their local electric power substation and ride a fucking exercise bike, that's hooked into the grid, for 4 hours at at time. They have to do that until they no longer look like Pillsbury dough people. THEN we won't need to rely on coal so much.

-Out

[Lyion]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... 60492/1012

[Gaazy]

Wow, i leave West virginia for one fucking week and something actually happens. I was actually at his mine a few months prior to the explosion. This was actually a pretty shitty mine, and I really dont think it would have happened if it were someone like Massey Energy or CONSUL. From I hear from everyone ICG arent the safest people in this industry.

My best guess, and other members of my family that are in this industry, is that when the first machinery started going back in after the break, a loose wire or cable sparked and caused it. As for the lightning strike idea, I think that was just a random suggestion that came to their heads to make the public think they had a clue what was going on.

One of the guys that passed away I knew alright, and he was a good guy. He had been a miner for 20-some years, one guys had 35 years even. It was the experience of these people that kept them alive as long as they did in my opinion. Some of the people I saw around the mine though looked like fucking stoner, and it COULD have even been something they did to ignite the explosion, like light a cigarette. I really dont think anyone will ever know what really happened that day. It's really a huge tragedy for people in the industry because it hits so close to home.


oh, and as far as the miscommunication goes, to the best of my knowledge they radioed out that the men were dead, but it was misunderstood as they were alive. I think someone jumped the gun on that one.

[Captain Insano]

YOU REQUIRE MORE VESPENE GAS

+2 for starcraft reference.


oh


and why is west virginia even a state? that place is so lame they couldn't even give it its own name. They were just fucking lazy and put the word "WEST" in front.

I vote to pave over west virginia and make it a big parking lot.

[Gaazy]

hey, we have mines and a few porn stores, mmmk?

but seriously, I would choose to live in my mountains here than in the OC or any other fucking city area any day of the week. I just love to camp, boat, ski, fish, raft, hunt, or whatever, all with being able to breathe nice fresh air. That, and not including the more crowded areas, not have to listen or put up with bullshit traffic jams and shit.