HUNTINGTON, Emery County — Dale "Bird" Black wasn't supposed to be in the Crandall Creek mine Thursday night when the mountain heaved, causing a second, deadly collapse, his brother said Friday.

Black, 48, had been promoted the day before and should have been outside working as a rescue manager, cleaning up and supplying materials to workers deep inside the collapsed mine trying to dig through thousands of feet of debris to reach six men who haven't been hear from in more than a week.

"That's Dale. He wouldn't have let his guys go in without him," Black's older brother, Guy Black, said.

The elder Black said he and other relatives used to tell the miner, "Bird, keep your (butt) outside. We've been telling him that for years."

Dale Black was one of three workers killed Thursday when a "mountain bump" rocked the mine and shot coal from one side of the tunnel a crew of at least nine workers was trying to clear in hopes of finding the trapped men. One of the missing miners, Kerry Allred, is Dale Black's cousin, relatives said.

Six other rescuers were injured, but by Friday morning, three had been released from a Price hospital.

Dale Black had intended to take time off this week for the start of bow-hunting season, his brother said. Instead, he was working 12-hour shifts to help find Allred, Manuel Arturo Sanchez, Carlos Payan, Brandon Phillips, and Don Erickson.

Guy Black said his brother, who everyone in town knew as "Bird," was a married father of two who was close to each of his nine brothers and sisters. Anyone who knew him, the elder Black said, probably has a story to tell about some raucous adventure from their younger days.

"There weren't too many rules he probably didn't break," Guy Black said with a wide grin and tears in his eyes. "There were no rules (for Bird). He was always close to Mom and Dad. Well, when he wasn't in trouble, he was always close to Mom and Dad."

Jennie Olson, one of Guy and Dale Bird's numerous cousins, said Dale Bird likely would have preferred to be hunting or fishing to working in the mine, but nothing was going to stop him from helping search for the missing men caught in an Aug. 6 collapse.

"He had a personal connection; he was going after family," Olson said.

Guy Black said his brother was no stranger to "mountain bumps" but had never been seriously injured before Thursday's accident.

"He had his share of bumps and pushes in the mine, but he had worse (injuries) on the (four-wheeler)," Guy Black said.

Funeral arrangements were being made for an Aug. 21 service at a Huntington church. The service will be outside. The family expects at least 500 people to attend and plan to dress the avid hunter in camouflage.