Work on a seventh hole, lowering robot delayed at Utah mine

HUNTINGTON — Efforts to drill a seventh hole into the Crandall Canyon Mine and lower a robot into one of the mine's previously drilled holes have been delayed because of bad weather.

A tractor-like rescue robot was lowered partially down rescue hole No. 3, but technical difficulties have slowed the process and no information has yet been obtained, attorneys Colin King and Edward Havas told reporters Monday.

King and Havas are representing families of six miners who have been missing since an Aug. 6 "seismic event" led to a collapse at Crandall Canyon.

Representatives from the Mine Safety and Health Administration did not tell the family members when drilling on the seventh hole would begin. The representatives did say efforts to lower the robot down hole No. 3 will continue throughout the evening, according to King and Havas.

An update on the process is expected Tuesday evening, unless the robot is successfully lowered, at which point more information will be given immediately.

Six previous holes have been bored through the mountain to the mine — some of them nearing depths of 2,000 feet — only to reveal no trace of missing miners Kerry Allred, Don Erickson, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Brandon Phillips and Manuel Sanchez.