Rescue crews lowering microphone into 5th borehole

HUNTINGTON — Rescue crews today are attempting to make contact with six miners trapped nearly 1,900 feet underground since Aug. 6.

Mine owner Bob Murray said drilling of a fifth borehole reached its target depth about 8:30 a.m. today, and as of 11 a.m. rescue crews were in the process of lowering a microphone into the hole. If no sounds from the trapped miners are heard, crews will lower a high-definition camera into the mine, Murray said.

The outspoken mine owner met briefly with reporters this morning in a series of interviews and was easily agitated when asked about frustrations expressed this week by families of the six trapped miners. He also accused the media of forgetting about the three men who died during Thursday night rescue efforts.

"Two of my employees lost their lives; so did an MSHA inspector," he said. "They're heroes. Let's not forget them."

Four previous drilling operations have shown no signs of miners Kerry Allred, Don Erickson, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Brandon Phillips and Manuel Sanchez, who have been trapped since a 3.9 magnitude seismic event collapsed the west-central section of the mine where they were working. In addition, air samples taken from the drilled holes have shown that oxygen levels in those areas of the mine are not sufficient to sustain human life.

Murray said he expects more bad news from the fifth borehole. Those findings will be announced at a press conference this afternoon, he said.

"If we find somebody alive, which is very unlikely, then we will continue our rescue efforts," Murray said. "But the hopes are very dim because of previous drilling that we've done."

If the audio and visual equipment show no signs of life, Murray said he will meet with federal Mine Safety and Heath Administration officials. However, he said, the drilling of a sixth borehole likely will begin Friday and reach the mine cavity at some point Saturday.

The mine owner ruled out any underground rescue efforts resuming unless drilling operations indicate that at least one of the trapped men is alive.

"I don't think we have any more options," Murray said.

Mining experts brought in over the weekend by mine officials and MSHA concluded Monday that the mine is too unstable to continue any underground rescue efforts. Miners had been trying to clear debris from the collapsed mine to reach the trapped men until Thursday evening, when three men — local coal miners Dale Black, 49, and Brandon Kimber, 29, and mine safety inspector Gary Jensen, 53 — were killed and six others injured in another seismic event.