Three miners trapped underground at Red Chris copper and gold mine in northwest B.C. were safely rescued late Thursday evening.
Kevin Coumbs, Darien Maduke and Jesse Chubaty had been taking shelter in a manufactured steel refuge chamber since Tuesday, July 22, after the roof of the mine's access tunnel collapsed, blocking their exit.
They were extracted using a remote-controlled specialty "scoop" loader, which is armoured to protect occupants from falling debris.
"They are being reunited with their families early this morning," said Bernard Wessels, global group head for health, safety and security for Newmont Corporation, which operates the mine. "We are deeply relieved that all three individuals are safe and in good health and spirits."
The three trapped miners work for the Smithers-based contractor Hy-Tech Drilling and hail from B.C., Ontario and Manitoba. More specific information about who they are and where they are from has not been provided.
Dwayne Ross, Hy-Tech's president, expressed gratitude to all those involved in the rescue efforts.
"Everyone truly worked together in this effort with the same goal, and I think we're all very thankful that it's a great, positive outcome," Ross said.
Before the operation began, a drone was sent in to assess the situation. The rescue team then dug a tunnel to the miners and sent two rescuers in with the scoop loader to collect them. This vehicle can be operated remotely, allowing rescuers to stay out of harm's way.
Upon reaching the refuge chamber, the team found Coumbs, Maduke and Chubaty, in stable condition. The men were extracted one by one in the loader, reaching safety at about 10:40 p.m. on Thursday.
Wessels said the miners did exactly what they were supposed to when they first realized something was wrong in the mine's access tunnels. Because they followed protocol and acted quickly, they were able to make it out alive.
The incident began when the trio witnessed a small collapse. They radioed to the surface — this was about 300 to 400 metres underground — then retreated to safety in the refuge chamber. When a larger collapse happened and blocked about 20 metres of tunnel, the miners were well clear of danger.
They were also trapped with enough supplies to get them through the 60-hour ordeal.
"They were well fed, and they had water, and therefore they walked out," Wessels said. "So my message is the protocols and the design that we have in industry, they are there to keep people safe."
Wessels said Newmont encourages a culture of speaking up among its workers.
"These workers are safe because they called in and they said, 'Something is not right,'" he said.
Red Chris has two sections, a fully operational open-pit mine and a separate underground section that the company is working to turn into an ore-producing operation. Work on this underground portion began in 2023.
Operations at the open pit have restarted. The company plans to keep the operation at the underground site suspended for the time being.
"There will be an investigation by Newmont and subject matter experts, and until that has been completed, we will not open," Wessels said.
