12 Trapped Miners in West Virginia discussion

[nychief]

Grief, anger as all but one miner found dead
Initial reports indicated 12 had survived

Wednesday, January 4, 2006; Posted: 10:25 a.m. EST (15:25 GMT)
TALLMANSVILLE, West Virginia (CNN) -- For three hours overnight, families of a dozen trapped West Virginia miners thought their loved ones were coming home as church bells rang to welcome them.

But by 3 a.m. Wednesday -- as one critically ill survivor was rushed to a hospital -- families learned that their thankful jubilation was premature.

There had been a tragic "miscommunication," said mine company chief Ben Hatfield. Twelve of the 13 trapped miners had not made it. They were dead. (Watch angry relatives react -- 3:21)

Anna Casto, who lost her cousin, angrily disagreed with Hatfield's use of the term "miscommunication."

"No, he strictly told us they was alive," Casto said. "Three hours later he come back and said they wasn't."

"We want to know why, and how people can get by with this," she said.

"I just want that immediate family to get some kind of satisfaction, to get some kind of answers." (Full story)

Casto said the tragedy has shaken the faith of some in the community. "We have got some of us ... saying... that we don't even know if there is a Lord anymore," she said. "We had a miracle, and it was taken away from us."
3-hour delay

# 11:53 p.m. -- Church bells ring as reports first indicate that 12 miners have been found alive.

# 2:14 a.m. -- A man is rescued and taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition after being trapped underground for nearly 40 hours.

# 2:44 a.m. -- Miners' relatives say they had been told all but one of the miners were dead.

# 3:11 a.m. -- Hatfield, president and CEO of International Coal Group, which owns the Sago Mine, announces that despite previous reports, only one survivor was found in the mine. (Timeline)

Hatfield called it the "worst day of my life."
Critical condition

The sole survivor, Randal McCloy, 27, was in critical condition in intensive care Wednesday at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.

"He suffered some collapse of one of his lungs," said Dr. Larry Roberts. "And we're trying to reopen that and there's good progress there."

Roberts said McCloy was sedated and attached to a breathing tube, but was moving and responding to stimuli.

"We hope that we will try to awaken him later today or tomorrow," the doctor said.
'Who do we tell?'

Hatfield said he knew within 20 minutes that an error had been made and that not all 12 were alive, but said he did not inform jubilant family members.

"We couldn't correct the information without knowing more about it," he told reporters. "Let's put this in perspective -- who do we tell not to celebrate? All I knew is, there weren't 12 people that were alive. It was somewhere between 12 and zero."

Hatfield said he understood family members' anger.

"I'm not surprised or upset with them. They certainly have some basis for their frustration, having been put through this emotional roller-coaster. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Hatfield said the miscommunication occurred between rescue crews and the command center, causing the earlier erroneous reports. (Watch the CEO's grim announcement -- 9:00)
Miners were alive after accident

Hatfield said it was apparent that the miners, who were found 13,000 feet into the mine, remained alive for a period of time following the explosion. They had built a "rough barricade structure," he said, and had donned their self-contained breathing apparatuses. The apparatuses held one hour of oxygen; Hatfield said he had no way of knowing how long the miners were alive.

The rescue team that found the miners was speaking to the command center over mine communication system on an open speaker audible to a number of people, Hatfield said. He noted the company made no formal announcement that the 12 were alive, but said he would not single out any rescuers, as they were trying to save the miners' lives.

"The honest answer is, we were devastated," he said. "It's sorrow beyond belief ... Welcome to the worst day of my life."
'Some wrong communications'

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin -- who flashed a thumbs-up on the steps of the church and said, "believe in miracles," after hearing the initial report that the 12 were alive -- called the situation "heart-wrenching." (Watch Gov. Manchin explain what may have caused the miscommunication -- 3:44)

He said he was in another room of the church with some family members when "we heard families in a euphoric state, and all the shouting and screaming and joyfulness." He asked what was happening, he said, and was told, "They found them. They're alive."

Manchin said he asked his communications people if they had confirmed that information, and they said no. But he was caught in the sea of jubilant relatives streaming out of the church, and the church bells began ringing, he said. He said he was "in a euphoric state, the same as they are."

It was about 20 minutes later, he said, when he also became aware of "some wrong communications." The delay in informing relatives, he said, came because officials were trying to get accurate information instead of adding to the confusion. He said he understood the family's pain, as his own uncle died in a 1968 mine accident.

"To put blame on anybody -- it's the wrong time, the wrong place," Manchin said. "Everybody has worked so hard. The rescue teams have worked around the clock. They've come from all over the country."

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by nm_dbf

Again the non-verified 24x7 News get any story fast, forget verifying facts. Run with it.

I know it's en vogue to blame the MSM on everything these days, but in this case they are not to blame. They were simply reporting what mine officials had apparently told families and families repeated to them.

The people who needed to verify facts were the MINE OFFICIALS. They not only miscommunicated with the families but the media and then the general public.

[stevieray]

The media will play the blame game all day, because the tragedy isn't as important as the "news".

Give us dirty laundry.

[Rain Man]

It's a little creepy here in Denver. The newspapers in the newspaper stands (which come out early) have a headline saying that the miners are alive, and the newspapers delivered to the homes (which come out a couple of hours later) have a headline saying that they're dead. Both of them have the same photo of a wife hearing the incorrect news that they're alive.

[angel]

That's really sad. I got up this morning, and saw the front page of the KC Star, big, bold print "12 Miners Found Alive After 41 Hours". As I'm reading it, my dad tells me that it's not actually true. That the news was given around midnight that they were alive, the story was print and a few hours later, the opposite was found to be true.

I just want to send my thoughts out into space for the families and their loss. What a horrible way to find out your loved ones are gone. To be so hopeful and have those hopes granted, and then for them to be ripped away as quickly as they were given ... what a terrible thing to have to go through.

[KCTitus]

Originally Posted by stevieray

The media will play the blame game all day, because the tragedy isn't as important as the "news".

Give us dirty laundry.

Of course...it's not because of irresponsible journalism, no way, it's because that damned mining company and their greedy profits. (see Jaz's posts)

[Donger]

Wow. Who would have guessed that jAZ and mememe would be on this thread.

First, a tasty hurricane. Now, this.

[teedubya]

This situation certainly sucks, and is a tragedy to each of the families. Unfortunately, this type of accident has been happening since the beginning of the mining industry, and most of these miners who died, were certainly aware of these occupational hazards.

Sucks though... but certainly not unexpected.

[gblowfish]

Did you notice the spokesman for the mine was named Hatfield, and the one guy who survived was named McCloy?

West Virginia at its weirdest...

[Ultra Peanut]

This is the worst miscommunication since Emmett and Ma Otter both decided to compete in the Frogtown Hollow Talent Show.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Did you notice the spokesman for the mine was named Hatfield, and the one guy who survived was named McCoy?

West Virginia at its weirdest...

West Virginia: 1.5 million people, 4 last names.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Donger

Wow. Who would have guessed that jAZ and mememe would be on this thread.

First, a tasty hurricane. Now, this.

Hooray for disaster

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by RP_McMurphy

This miscommunication reminds me of Damage Control exercises we used to run on. We would line up the whole Damage Control Party and start at one end with someone passing information along and on the other end we would wait to see what came out on the end. Never once in running this exercise did the exact word ever make it the whole way to the end. There were physical issues (remember the rescue party was underground and in horrid conditions), mental (everyone was tired and running on empty after 2 days of ups and downs) and emotional (everyone wanted to believe that many of these guys survived.....so yes they might have picked up something and ran with it). I don't blame anyone for this miscommunication as it was just a tragic mistake. It is obvious that this coal mine was a accident waiting to happen with his continious pattern of bad inspections. My prayers are for the families and for that small town as it will be touched to the core by this tragedy.

You know they'll be talking about this in every journalism school in the country this AM. Whatever happended to verifying sources? Black eye for the mass media, and horrible for the families involved.

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

I know it's en vogue to blame the MSM on everything these days, but in this case they are not to blame. They were simply reporting what mine officials had apparently told families and families repeated to them.

The people who needed to verify facts were the MINE OFFICIALS. They not only miscommunicated with the families but the media and then the general public.

So you are completely discounting the report that the media overheard/intercepted rescue worker communications and used that for the basis of their reports?

[Ultra Peanut]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

So you are completely discounting the report that the media overheard/intercepted rescue worker communications and used that for the basis of their reports?

I hope they checked their sources before reporting that...

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

Neither is projection, which is what you were doing with JAZ's post.

I am not protecting myself by attributing my feelings on jAZ. I am simply observing the concrete parallels between jAZ's remarks in response to those who are irate at the rescue teams and others who forwarded the news and the remarks of those responding to the BLPD contingent.