Comments about ‘Hope wilts: Miners' families bitter at speculation 5th borehole won't detect signs of life’

I am of course deeply saddened to think that all of the dear miners may have been lost, I do think however that the present reality is that the miners are no longer alive. I think that the bodies need to be recovered as soon as possible so that the families can hold services and move on with their lives.The safety of those who will carry out the recovery effort must be paramount, if the mine is found to be slowly collapsing as some have suggested,the bodies should be recoverd at a later date when the recovery can be done without loss of life.

This story is so sad. My heart goes out to those families. But, what they are essentially demanding and the nature of their criticism is driven by emotion rather than rational (given the situation, it is hard to expect anything else). Even if mine officials had began drilling a 36 inch hole during the first week, for which the families claim to have asked, & even if MSHA would have approved such a dangerous feat, the chances of that hole hitting an area in which a rescuer could climb out of a capsul and move about the mine tunnels in search of the 6 without being obstructed by cave-ins and floods is VERY slim. I believe the rescue effort is doing the right thing with the small holes. They take about 2 days to drill (as opposed to 3 weeks with the 36 inch hole). "IF" any of the men survived the initial collapse (which registered 4.0, rumbled for about 4 min. and kicked out a gust of air that pushed one workers' truck nose down as he exited the mine), food, water, light and supplies can be sent down to the miners to sustain them while a hole large enough to bring them out is drilled. It's much safer to bring the men up than send men down (greater chance of the hole collapsing into itself going down). It is about all there is to do! I know Murray and various groups of miners have prayed together daily for signs of life, among other things. So far, nothing... nothing that could rationalize putting any more lives in danger. I continue to pray that these families will have closure- hopefully joyful. But, people should understand that their demands are emotionally driven, and be sensitive to this.

The miners' families need to realize that pessimism is justified in this case. No sign of life (voices, banging, carbon dioxide) has ever been detected from inside the mine since the initial collapse. If there had ever been any indication that someone survived the Aug. 6 event two weeks ago, I'm sure that people would still be doing everything humanly possible to get to them. From what I understand, there is a vast amount of debris under which the men may be buried, enough to cover three football fields. If there is no way to remove that coal and rock safely without endangering rescuers' lives. Even if it were possible to get a 30-inch hole dug within a week, and send a volunteer with an air tank down to roam around the blocked off section, does anyone really believe he would actually be able to find the six miners? What if that rescuer perished during the attempt to locate the miners? Would everyone still want to keep sending down more people? If this had happened in the ocean and rescuers were looking for six men lost at sea, I think the Coast Guard would be "throwing in the towel" about now, if not sooner. Nobody would expect to be able find a missing person at sea after two weeks. I think the current situation is similar. I understand the families' anger and frustration, but it certainly hasn't been because of the lack of trying. As difficult as it may be to accept, the truth is the mine has likely become the final resting place for those honorable six souls, who hopefully didn't suffer at all as they slipped into the next world. May they rest in peace, and their families find solace in their grief.

After listening to the Press Conference from the families of these 6 trapped miners, I agree with them. After being told that it is still a "rescue operation and they will not stop until the miners are found" and then the very next morning be told that the miners will most likely never be found, I would also be very angry and frustrated with officials for not doing more in the beginning. My heart goes out to these families. And I feel Mr. Murray has alot to answer too for not listening to their requests from the beginning and thinking that only the "Pros" know what is best in the situation and then when things go bad - he deserted these families. These families have every right to be angry. May God be with them and step in to help find the answers on how to find these men and get them out of that mine so they can have some peace.

How good of Mr. Olsen and company to stir the pot --for a fee (like this reporter I googled Olsen, too, and immediately found his affiliation with a law firm). What am I missing here? Just what possible good does it do to take 20 days to drill a hole and lower a capsule into a cavity where there are no signs of life or breathable air? Mr. Olsen offered no explanation of how this plan would resolve the crisis. All I see here is an attorney positioning for future law suits. Meanwhile, the families are pushed from all directions.

"We feel that they've given up." Well, if that isn't as selfish of a comment that I've ever heard. They drilled 4 holes, are drilling a 5th. Not to mention, they sent in a rescue crew, two of which lost their lives. Go tell that to the families of the rescue miners that died.

Unforunately, the "rescue" effort has become a
recovery.

Forgive me for being hopeful. But I know who knows where they are. I know that if they are to be found, they will be. Because I know who knows, and because I know that He is able to arrange and do all things, I have hope. We look too often through our own eyes and say things are impossible and we should be doubtful. If they are gone He took them, but if they are not which none of us know, we keep looking. There is alway, always hope. If it was not their time to go, and we really have the faith and hope so many claim, then we will see the miracle. Time will tell. Either way, hope should never be lost. If we lose hope, we are of all people most miserable. Hope drives us to accomplishment.

I agree with Jethro's comments. I feel for the families of the trapped miners, but I don't think that it can be said that "We feel that they've given up." The families might have an opinion about the way things have been handled. It appears to me that they haven't given up they are now speaking what reality probably is. My hearts and prayers go to the families of the trapped miners and the families on the rescuers who lost their lives trying to find their friends.

I am trying hard to understand why the capsule idea wasn't brought to light on the second hole. At that time there was sufficient oxygen available. A man could have been lowered into the mine with a small oxygen cylinder and a microphone for communications with those on top. I've worked in the oilfields and know that to drill a hole large enough for a capsule, 2,000 ft deep would not take a week and to set a liner. You can stand too close to the forest and never see it. GOD BLESS ALL, Sincerely, Billy Mills

This is such a sad, sad story. We feel such compassion for all the families involved. But I think we all know that those miners are underneath that pile of rubble and hopefully they never knew what happened. The rescuers have been heroic in their efforts. To me it would make more sense at this point to seal the mine, put in place a memorial and let the healing begin. It will take a long, long time. May God bless them all.

Give Up..!I have seen so many survival documentaries on human beings who had to save themselves because it was thought that the said individuals were dead.On one survival documentary that I viewed, a man came from a mountain broken leg, frost bitten and lost fingers and toes but he endured it alone! His friends left him because they thought that he was dead.
Other survivors were part of the air plane crash depicted in the movie "Alive" . The members had to climb,walk and crawl through the mountains in order to save themselves because they were left for dead.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-True-Story-Andes-Survivors/dp/0099432498.
How dare Us! We let individuals slowly die and we return later to perhaps recover the corpse. Their just might be a miracle window of opportunity open for their lives as noted in survival documentaries. Searching for victims should not be halted until the people are retrieved, preferably alive.
As far as the miners are concerned....
They could suffocate if they did not die instantly from the fall. What if their are survivors waiting on rescue. They are in the thick blackness,minimal air, minimal space, no food, no water, no medicine, " Evidently, no Hope?" Lets turn our heads, close our eyes, and stop our ears until we are sure that they are dead?
We leave them because we can here no sound from down their. How much sound can be vibrated from a combination of coal,rock and dirt? Perhaps the scenario is that the victims and the rescuers can not hear each other. They might be screaming as loud as they can considering the lack of air, water, food. Since we a speculating that they are dead, what if their arms are pinned down? This is an absolute horrible situation.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=true+stories+of+survivors+who+were+left+for+dead&btnG=Search
Barbara Ann Jelks Ogwu
barbaraannjelksogwu

If The accident hadn't had happened on Thursday, we would still hear how there is "every reason for hope" The miners might be Dead, but thats no reason to stop looking for them or to suspend operations. But the families have to face reality as well.

Murray played the hope card to give him time to establish a better defense. Today, the air samples show there isn't enough oxygen. People bought in to Murray's hopeful song. We are taught that there's is always hope. Only a fool would change the human desire to hope against all odds. When you deal with risk, you must figure the ability to rescue people. You don't use mining practices, like retreat mining if can conduct safe rescues. This may be solved by more prayers. Is god more moved by the quality or quantity of prayers? Can you pray to a stacked deck were god won't be swayed to intervene? Praying may be interfering with god's faith test for these people.

THE MINE OWNERS, FELLOW WORKERS , STATE/FEDERAL OFFICICIALS ALL HAVE PERFORMED WITH ALL THEY HAVE. GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION IS IN ORDER BY THE FAMILYS. ALL THAT IS ISSUED BY FAMILIES ARE SOUR GRAPES OF IN GRATITUDE. PLEASE BE MORE GREATFUL AND NOT CRITICAL. THE FAMILIES CRITICAL ATTITTUDE WILL NOT BRING THEM BACK OR SOLVE MINE PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE!

4th story down, 3 people die in a car crash. Point being, this mining story is tragic, it is sad. But while we sit and mourn over those 6 miners and whether they are alive and whether they are dead, hundreds others are dying everyday from just as tragic situations. Seriously, how many died from that earthquake in Peru last week? Hundreds! How about this Hurricane about to hit the East coast? Most likely several.........

This whole thing is an extremely terrible story. I can't help but to read into the expressions of this guy who claims it was a "mother nature" related accident. He is lying through his teeth. From his first press conference he made the comment "Turn that down! I can wait. No hurry here." how wrong that is! These miners could very well be a miracle. We need to have and keep hope. Give us something to pray for. These families are hurting and deserve hope and faith. Lets live our lives and pray for the best. These miners will be found. If they are alive or if they are only found in spirit. we will still have hope.

GOD BLESS ALL THE WORLD

this is such a tragetyim relly sorry for the famlies my husband worked in a coal mines for 25 years and ther wasnt a day went by that i wasnt afraid for his life but he relly enjoyed his job he said once you work in a coal mines you wont do any thing else my thoughts are wit you all and i hope the verry best i have been praying for you all just pray they are in gods hands that is all we can do now .

I think the families need to reign in their ambulance chasing attorney before they loose all public support.

They need to decide if they will line up behind... The man promising them money (Sonny Olsen) or the man promising them as much hope as possible at this point (Rob Murray). I haven't seen Olsen enter the mine once or lift a finger to return their loved ones to them (all he promises is anger, money and vengence). On the other hand Murray has been in the mine daily, meeting with all the mining experts he can find and doing everything in his power to find their loved ones. To turn on Murray and line up behind your lawyer before all the facts are in is reprehensible and low class.