From Deseret News archives:
Third hole to be drilled in search for Utah miners
Mining officials met with families of the six miners this morning at Canyon View Junior High School to update them on the latest developments. Unfortunately it was much of the same: little progress with even fewer positive results and no sign of missing miners Kerry Allred, Don Erickson, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Brandon Phillips and Arturo "Manuel" Sanchez.
The third hole will be drilled somewhere between where the miners were believed to be trapped and the exit they would have run toward during the collapse.
Mine officials could not say Sunday how long it would take for the third hole to be completed. Last week, it took crews three days to drill an 8 5/8 inch hole and two days to drill a 2 1/2 inch hole.
The families were shown the most recent video shot by a vertical camera sent inside the 8 5/8 inch hole. Huntington Mayor Hillary Gordon told the Associated Press that she also saw the video and it showed nothing. Some debris could be seen in the video but nothing that hadn't already been shown on TV, she said. Poor lighting made it hard to see anything, Gordon said.
Gordon said, however, the families' demeanor in the meeting was up-beat.
"They say they're as hopeful today as they were the first day," she said.
Close family members declined to comment, but Jose Sanchez, a cousin of Manuel Sanchez from Fort Collins, Colo., said the families expressed frustration mingled with their patience, but they are supporting each other.
"That helps our with the heartache," he said.
Sunday marked Day 7 since the miners became trapped.
A press conference with mine officials was scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
