This may be a dumb question but have they tried to drill a 4" or 8" hole through the entrance to the mine where the miners entered? If it's possible to do this horizonally into the entrance it seems it would be a shorter distance. Just a thought.

To the Crandall Canyon fallen victims's families:

I am very sorry for your loss. I have experienced losses both anticipated and unexpected. When I was fifteen years old in my first year in high school, my mother died of melanoma at age 54 on Monday, December 6, 2004; we were anticipating the loss. As with me, I am sure your loss is emotionally stressful for you and your family.

Your grief may ebb and flow. It has been said that each of us has this well deep inside of us that can be filled to the brim with grief. Every time we cry, we empty out some of the well. But the well fills again. The level of sorrow in your well may lessen as time passes, but it will never run dry. There will always be birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and those days when the well seems to fill to its brim again. Allow yourself time to remember and mourn. It is part of your healing. Grief is a continuing journey.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the miners and families and friends...

I just wanted to ask if there is any chance that a small robotic device could be sent into the chambers with lights, a camera and a microphone. I realize that a camera probe was tried, but is there any way to obtain a device that would be mobile after entering the chamber... either some kind of crawler or a lighter-than-air probe that could explore a wider area, with a radio link to an antenna lowered into the shaft???

Radio control toys and police surveillance devices exist using this kind of technology. Might the US Government be able to provide such a device?

Our prayers are with you all...
Sincerely,
John W. Baxter
jbaxter@voicenet.com

we pray for the families and miners and wish u all luck

u are in our prayers