Memories Still Haunt Quecreek Miners [BlackDiamond]
Memories still haunt Quecreek miners
July 24, 2005
SIPESVILLE - Quietly they stood and watched as speakers talked about the "Miracle in the Mine" Saturday at the Quecreek Mine rescue site in Sipesville, Somerset County.
The 100 or so people who gathered to pay tribute to the Quecreek nine on their third anniversary mingled and talked among themselves as they watched a small group of the rescued miners shake hands, trying not to relive the 77 hours of terror they shared trapped beneath the Earth's surface some 240 feet in July of 2002.
Randy Fogle, Mark Popernack, John Phillippi, Dennis Hall, Ronald Hileman, John Unger, Robert Pugh, Blaine Mayhugh and Tomas Foy were rescued from the mine as the world watched on their television sets, hoping for a miracle.
People around the globe learned that the men became trapped when they breached an abandoned adjacent mine, flooding Quecreek with millions of gallons of water.
But what the millions of viewers couldn't possibly know is how the miners felt when all hope quickly vanished.
"We said a lot of prayers," said Hall. "The entire experience was like a dream. I couldn't believe that it was happening and I couldn't imagine how they were going to get us out of there."
Foy, who was the third miner to be pulled from the Earth on July 27, 2002, said July 24, 2002, started out just like every other day.
"We were mining and when we took the last cut and were about ready to quit, we broke through the wall," said Foy. "We thought we had about 300 feet to go, but thinking don't get her these days, buddy."
Foy said the water came in and his crew called the other section to make sure they got out first because they were below them. "Thank God we got a hold of them in time and they got out," he recalled.
Foy said his crew got trapped when they went back for Mark Popernack.
"We didn't want to leave him there like that," said Foy. "Once we found him, we couldn't get back. That's when we knew that we weren't going to make it."
Foy said he hasn't gone back to the mine since the accident and said he is looking for work. He went back to school and got his CDL license. But he hasn't had any luck finding a job. Another ironic twist, according to Foy, is that his health insurance, carried by his former employer, the Black Wolf Coal Co., has been discontinued.
Pugh, who was the eighth miner to be rescued and had worked for 311/2 years in the mining industry, said he always thought that some day he might get killed underground by a rock, rooffall or a machine, but he never imagined that he would be trapped and/or killed by water.
"The mine was relatively safe," said Pugh. "We tried to keep it as safe as we could. I didn't want to go back underground after it happened, so I retired."
Pugh said in the beginning and at the end, he had a lot of hope that he and his fellow miners would be rescued because he had been through about everything a coal miner can go through in 31 years.
"I really didn't think that we were all going to die until the end when we were building that last wall to keep the water out and the water was pushing against the blocks so bad that we couldn't get them up.
"That was when I first realized that we were all going to die. I kept my hopes up most of the time up until the last day and then I thought we were through. "We could hear them drilling, but we couldn't figure how they were going to drill a big enough hole to get a man out."
Pugh said he takes life day by day, is happy to be alive and enjoys every day. He also said that he still says his prayers every day.
Mayhugh, who never went back into the mine, said each year it gets a little easier.
"I work for Florida Power and Light now, which is the new windmill company in Meyersdale," said Mayhugh. "When I was trapped down there, I said, 'If I ever get out, I would never step foot inside a mine again.'"
The 34-year-old, who is married with two children, said he felt it was a miracle that the nine trapped miners escaped alive.
"We had a one in a billion shot to still be here today," said Mayhugh.
"Now, and every day, I thank the good Lord for giving me a second chance at life and to be with my wife, Leslie, and our children. They sure knew what they were doing, but I think there was a lot of luck involved, too."
Joe Sbaffoni of Fairchance, one of the most prominent figures in the rescue operation, said that he is still amazed with everything that happened July 24-27, 2002. Sbaffoni, state Department of Environmental Protection director of the bureau of mine safety, also said that Quecreek holds a special place in his heart.
"Being involved in the rescue from the beginning to the end with all the critical decisions and interacting with the families and the media and all the rescuers and our people brings back a lot of memories."
Sbaffoni, who's been in mining for 30 years, said those 77 hours were a real roller coaster because there were so many unknowns.
He said that everyone involved knew that they were in a real dire situation. The fact they were able to put a good plan together and were successful with it was a bonus, he said.
He also said that this was the first time in his career that he was involved with miners trapped.
"I've been involved with just about everything in mining up until that point," said Sbaffoni. "Usually, we are preparing for mine fires, explosions or accidents, but this was unique because of the water."
After the rescue, there were some very thorough investigations, according to Sbaffoni, both underground and with talking to individuals.
Sbaffoni said it was determined that the map everyone was working with and everyone thought was the most up to date map wasn't.
"That's actually what caused the accident," said Sbaffoni. "The engineering and survey work at Quecreek was right where it should be. Everything was accurate and done correctly. The miners thought they were working 200 to 300 feet away. That turned out not to be the case."
Foy, Hall, Pugh and Fogle all still have nightmares and live with the constant reminders of what happened to them during those summer days in 2002. Although they have gotten on with their lives and are thankful to be here, they still sometimes have trouble sleeping at night.
State Rep. Bob Bastian of the 69th District said new mining legislation is under way in Harrisburg, while Bill Arnold, owner of the Quecreek rescue site, said he is trying to raise money to move the Sipesville Firehall two miles to his property.
"They built a new firehall so the old firehall (where the miners' families stayed during the rescue) isn't in danger of being torn down," said Arnold. "That's why we held the auction here today to raise money to move the firehall two miles to the rescue site."
Arnold said the building has a lot of historical value. It is 126 years old and was originally a one-room schoolhouse.
July 24, 2005
SIPESVILLE - Quietly they stood and watched as speakers talked about the "Miracle in the Mine" Saturday at the Quecreek Mine rescue site in Sipesville, Somerset County.
The 100 or so people who gathered to pay tribute to the Quecreek nine on their third anniversary mingled and talked among themselves as they watched a small group of the rescued miners shake hands, trying not to relive the 77 hours of terror they shared trapped beneath the Earth's surface some 240 feet in July of 2002.
Randy Fogle, Mark Popernack, John Phillippi, Dennis Hall, Ronald Hileman, John Unger, Robert Pugh, Blaine Mayhugh and Tomas Foy were rescued from the mine as the world watched on their television sets, hoping for a miracle.
People around the globe learned that the men became trapped when they breached an abandoned adjacent mine, flooding Quecreek with millions of gallons of water.
But what the millions of viewers couldn't possibly know is how the miners felt when all hope quickly vanished.
"We said a lot of prayers," said Hall. "The entire experience was like a dream. I couldn't believe that it was happening and I couldn't imagine how they were going to get us out of there."
Foy, who was the third miner to be pulled from the Earth on July 27, 2002, said July 24, 2002, started out just like every other day.
"We were mining and when we took the last cut and were about ready to quit, we broke through the wall," said Foy. "We thought we had about 300 feet to go, but thinking don't get her these days, buddy."
Foy said the water came in and his crew called the other section to make sure they got out first because they were below them. "Thank God we got a hold of them in time and they got out," he recalled.
Foy said his crew got trapped when they went back for Mark Popernack.
"We didn't want to leave him there like that," said Foy. "Once we found him, we couldn't get back. That's when we knew that we weren't going to make it."
Foy said he hasn't gone back to the mine since the accident and said he is looking for work. He went back to school and got his CDL license. But he hasn't had any luck finding a job. Another ironic twist, according to Foy, is that his health insurance, carried by his former employer, the Black Wolf Coal Co., has been discontinued.
Pugh, who was the eighth miner to be rescued and had worked for 311/2 years in the mining industry, said he always thought that some day he might get killed underground by a rock, rooffall or a machine, but he never imagined that he would be trapped and/or killed by water.
"The mine was relatively safe," said Pugh. "We tried to keep it as safe as we could. I didn't want to go back underground after it happened, so I retired."
Pugh said in the beginning and at the end, he had a lot of hope that he and his fellow miners would be rescued because he had been through about everything a coal miner can go through in 31 years.
"I really didn't think that we were all going to die until the end when we were building that last wall to keep the water out and the water was pushing against the blocks so bad that we couldn't get them up.
"That was when I first realized that we were all going to die. I kept my hopes up most of the time up until the last day and then I thought we were through. "We could hear them drilling, but we couldn't figure how they were going to drill a big enough hole to get a man out."
Pugh said he takes life day by day, is happy to be alive and enjoys every day. He also said that he still says his prayers every day.
Mayhugh, who never went back into the mine, said each year it gets a little easier.
"I work for Florida Power and Light now, which is the new windmill company in Meyersdale," said Mayhugh. "When I was trapped down there, I said, 'If I ever get out, I would never step foot inside a mine again.'"
The 34-year-old, who is married with two children, said he felt it was a miracle that the nine trapped miners escaped alive.
"We had a one in a billion shot to still be here today," said Mayhugh.
"Now, and every day, I thank the good Lord for giving me a second chance at life and to be with my wife, Leslie, and our children. They sure knew what they were doing, but I think there was a lot of luck involved, too."
Joe Sbaffoni of Fairchance, one of the most prominent figures in the rescue operation, said that he is still amazed with everything that happened July 24-27, 2002. Sbaffoni, state Department of Environmental Protection director of the bureau of mine safety, also said that Quecreek holds a special place in his heart.
"Being involved in the rescue from the beginning to the end with all the critical decisions and interacting with the families and the media and all the rescuers and our people brings back a lot of memories."
Sbaffoni, who's been in mining for 30 years, said those 77 hours were a real roller coaster because there were so many unknowns.
He said that everyone involved knew that they were in a real dire situation. The fact they were able to put a good plan together and were successful with it was a bonus, he said.
He also said that this was the first time in his career that he was involved with miners trapped.
"I've been involved with just about everything in mining up until that point," said Sbaffoni. "Usually, we are preparing for mine fires, explosions or accidents, but this was unique because of the water."
After the rescue, there were some very thorough investigations, according to Sbaffoni, both underground and with talking to individuals.
Sbaffoni said it was determined that the map everyone was working with and everyone thought was the most up to date map wasn't.
"That's actually what caused the accident," said Sbaffoni. "The engineering and survey work at Quecreek was right where it should be. Everything was accurate and done correctly. The miners thought they were working 200 to 300 feet away. That turned out not to be the case."
Foy, Hall, Pugh and Fogle all still have nightmares and live with the constant reminders of what happened to them during those summer days in 2002. Although they have gotten on with their lives and are thankful to be here, they still sometimes have trouble sleeping at night.
State Rep. Bob Bastian of the 69th District said new mining legislation is under way in Harrisburg, while Bill Arnold, owner of the Quecreek rescue site, said he is trying to raise money to move the Sipesville Firehall two miles to his property.
"They built a new firehall so the old firehall (where the miners' families stayed during the rescue) isn't in danger of being torn down," said Arnold. "That's why we held the auction here today to raise money to move the firehall two miles to the rescue site."
Arnold said the building has a lot of historical value. It is 126 years old and was originally a one-room schoolhouse.
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