In an interview with the Deseret Morning News, Utah Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Tammy Kikuchi described the meeting as "somber, with some conviction that the mission continue to find the original six."

Huntsman has expressed concerns about the rescue effort. In an interview early this morning, he said it should cease until workers' safety can be guaranteed.

"Let us ensure that we have no more injuries," he said. "We have suffered enough as a state."

The governor told the Morning News later in the day he intended to put together a panel for the state to conduct its own investigation into the disaster to determine if Utah should have more control over mine safety.

The state investigation, Huntsman said, would run parallel to the federal inquiry expected to be launched after the rescue efforts are completed. But it would not be intended to duplicate the work done by MSHA.

Huntsman said the state gave up its authority over mine safety to the federal government decades ago. Now, the governor said, it is time to take another look at what Utah should be doing.

"We're going to want to see if there is reason for us to reconsider how this is done," he said. Huntsman said he already has been in contact with West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin about the state's role in mine safety. West Virginia was the site of last year's Sago Mine disaster.

"We want to look at what West Virginia did after Sago," he said. "There's no sense in reinventing the wheel." The panel would include lawmakers with mining expertise, such as Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, the governor said.

It's not clear how soon the panel would be created, Huntsman said, because the focus right now continues to be on the rescue of the trapped miners. He said there has been no indication yet from MSHA when the federal investigation will begin.

Huntsman spent probably 20 minutes today with the injured miner who is being treated at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

Janet Frank, spokeswoman for the Provo hospital, said Huntsman spoke with the man's family and some co-workers at 2 p.m.

"I'd say it was about 20 minutes (length of conversation)," Frank said.

The patient is listed in serious condition and was in surgery Friday afternoon.

Doctors are working on facial fractures the man suffered. He also has a broken leg and an internal head injury.

A drill boring another 8 5/8-inch hole through the mountain to the cavern where the six miners are believed to be trapped has advanced more than 600 feet now and will not stop, even though the underground rescue efforts are halted.