Utah Mine Search Suspended

Miners' bodies may never be recovered

(NEWSER) - The trapped Utah miners are most likely dead, and their bodies may never be recovered, mine owner Robert Murray acknowledged to bereaved family members last night. Following the death of three rescuers—and a report from mining experts concluding that further attempts would be an unacceptable risk—underground rescue efforts have been suspended indefinitely. More»

(NEWSER) - At least nine rescuers at the Utah mine where six miners were trapped last week are injured after seismic activity may have caused another cave-in, CNN reports. Six or more ambulances and two helicopters rushed to the Crandall Canyon mine tonight to transport the wounded rescuers to the hospital. More»

Found out via text message

(NEWSER) - One of the four miners who escaped the Crandall Canyon collapse that trapped six men told the AP he didn't hear or feel the cave-in as it was occurring. Tim Curtis, who was near the mine's entrance at the time, heard of the collapse via text message on an personal emergency device. "It's just like you are here and three miles away are you going to hear a balloon pop?" he says. More»

Poorly lit video spies equipment but no sign of missing miners

(NEWSER) - Mine officials will drill a third hole to locate six Utah miners trapped for close to a week, the AP reports. A video camera with poor lighting was lowered into a hole yesterday and found mining equipment, but no sign of the miners. Still, rescuers said they were treating the mission as a rescue and not as a recovery effort. More»

Larry Marek, 53, died after cave-in

(NEWSER) - After nine days, workers yesterday recovered the body of Larry Marek, who was trapped during a cave-in in an Idaho silver mine. Marek and his brother, Mike, had just finished watering down blasted-out rock and ore in the mine on April 15 when the ceiling collapsed in a 6,150-foot-deep tunnel. His brother escaped unharmed. Rescue crews spent days toiling around the clock, digging through debris and working to build a second intersecting tunnel in hopes of reaching him alive, the AP reports. Click for more on the rescue efforts . More»