How wonderful....

The two miners, trapped for 5 days in the mine in Tassie have been found alive and well!!

Its fantastic News Les


TRAPPED MINERS
FOUND ALIVE
AFTER FIVE DAYS
By LUKE McILVEEN
01may06
TWO miners trapped a kilometre underground for almost a week were last night found alive beneath hundreds of tonnes of rubble.

Todd Russell, 35, and Brant Webb, 36, were captured on thermal imaging cameras as they huddled in the collapsed shaft of the gold mine in Beaconsfield in Tasmania's northeast.

Rescuers were able to make radio contact with the men, who are believed to be relatively well considering an ordeal in which they were forced to drink water dripping from rock to survive in temperatures around 45C.

United Church Community Minister Frances Seen said she was in church praying when Mr Russell's mother came in shouting "they're alive, they're alive".

"And she cried and hugged us and it was exciting," she said.

The mining town threw a street party to celebrate what has widely been called a miracle, although their joy remained tempered by the loss of Larry Knight, the miner whose body had already been found.

"I just wish I could give Larry's wife part of my miracle," said Mr Russell's mother, Kaye.

The two survivors were reportedly unhurt, after being shielded by a cherry picker cage from the falling rocks that killed Mr Knight, 44, on Anzac Day, when an earthquake triggered the mine collapse.

Last night, rescue crews were halfway through blasting a 36m-long tunnel to reach the pair and estimated it could take up to another 48 hours.

Australian Workers Union deputy national president Paul Howes said the miners were coping well.

"They're in good spirits . . . the first thing they wanted to find out was the footy scores, and how long till they could get out," he said.

Mr Webb's mother-in-law, Julie Kelly, said it appeared the two miners had been protected from the rockfall by the 1.2m 1.2m cherry picker cage, where they had apparently huddled since. Mrs Kelly said they believed a large slab of rock had fallen on the cage, but it had held its shape.

"There was a big slab of rock over their cage, so they are unhurt," she said.

"They are saying how they are not hurt was because there was nothing (no rocks) in the cage. It was a big slab of rock that saved them.

"That was the 1 per cent hope, (that) they may have got in an area away from the rocks, but it was such a small hope."

Mr Webb's wife, Rachel, had been told by a mine official who ran to the family home to break the news.

"He knelt down in tears and said they were alive," Mrs Kelly said. Mr Webb's son Zach, 18, said he hoped to hug his father tomorrow. "It's absolutely awesome. We've been jumping and screaming, kissing everyone, hugging and yelling."

Mr Russell's sister, Mandy Russell, said her family and the town were ecstatic the pair had survived so long with no food and little water.

"It's like the Queen's in town. There's tears, there's just everything," she said.

"(My mother's) screaming, she's dancing. This is an all-night party."

West Tamar Mayor Barry Easther said it was expected the men would be freed from the mine today.

"I'm just speechless. I got a phone call at home. I just jumped in the car, it's just unbelievable news," he said.

"There's still a lot of technical work to do to get them out, but to think that they're still down there and still alive is an absolute miracle. They say miracles happen. I didn't think there was going to be one at Beaconsfield."

Reverend Seen said Mr Russell's brother had reported that a camera had "gotten through to them" and they were still alive and that they "seemed to be okay".

"They've called in all the miners to start work getting them out," she said.

"And they'll have them out tomorrow, so it's going to still be a little bit of time, but at least they're still alive. It's wonderful. We can celebrate now."

More than 400 people had gathered at the mine site last night. Local Jason Skeen said the town had started to give up hope. "But I think everybody would have some form of hope in some way," he said.

Mr Russell's mate, Robert Gilley, said the feeling in the town was euphoric.

"We are only a small community, but I tell you what, we all stick together," he said.

"We've heard on the grapevine that they've said that they are cold, they are thirsty and bloody hungry so get us out."

There is a real sense of joy here at the moment.

We've just lost 3 fishermen and had the 10th anniversary of Port Arthur, then the mining accident.... to get the news that 2 of the 3 miners are alive really was a great shot in the arm.

There must be such mixed emotions for the 3rd miners family.

It must be very hard all this waiting. It has to be done with care but i would want to go in there and start digging myself

So true!

Great news that they have actually been given food and drink for the first time in almost a week.

What an absolutely horrific experience, to be buried a kilometer underground, not knowing if you were ever going to be found...thank goodness their rescue seems imminent!

It's 13 days now. This morning they were getting closer. I don't think I could have survived myself, I have panic attacks if a lift stops and the doors don't open immediately

Me too. I cant even begin to imagine how they havent screamed.. I would be so over being patient by now.

On their own I don't think they would have survived - buy, hey, what hero's are they going to come out as - and bloody good on 'em! Talk about a whole re-assessment of life !

Trapped miners finally freed

09.05.06 9.30am - Update



BEACONSFIELD - Trapped Tasmanian miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell have walked from Beaconsfield mine after 14 days trapped underground.

The miners walked from mine buildings shortly before 8am NZT.

Webb and Russell could be seen on television pictures sitting in the back of an ambulance waving, smiling and hugging friends and family members.

The joyful reunion with the mens' families happened above ground in full public view. But their first action was to remove their name tags from the board they have been hooked on for two weeks.

Crowds that had quickly gathered on news of the miners release clapped and cheered as the ambulance drove away from mine buildings. The men were being taken to Launceston Hospital for further medical assesment.

At 9.05am NZT, an hour after they left the mine, the men arrived at the hospital, still with big grins on their faces, and waving to waiting media from their stretchers.

Mine manager Matthew Gill told reporters the miners had expressed a desire to attend the funeral today for colleague Larry Knight. Knight was killed in the rockfall that trapped the miners on Anzac Day.

"I would be surprised if they weren't able to attend".

Mr Gill said: "All the people who have worked on this rescue operation , they have all been fantastic, working long hours in extraordinary conditions. They have done this while riding an emotional rollercoaster."

He described the two miners as "incredible people". He added: "I am amazed at their condition. They're pretty tough."

He said the final stage of the rescue had gone smoothly. "The amount of rock we had to break through was less than we thought. We were a bit further advanced than we thought. For once we had things going in our favour."

Rescuer Rex Johnson described freeing the miners this morning. He said the pair had dropped down a vertical tunnel onto stretchers below. They were then dragged a short distance along a horizontal tunnel to safety.

"They got it pretty easy," Mr Johnson joked.

The miners knew the job would take time. "The guys were very calm, the paramedics done a great job calming the guys leading up to the time."

Asked about their first words after being freed he said: "Just a few yeehaas I think."

"They were really ready to come home. They had their bags packed for quite a while.

"Everyone is elated."

Mr Gill said there were also mixed feelings at the rescue due to the death of miner Larry Knight. "I share everyone's joy and relief that we have been able to get Todd and Brant out safetly."

But he said "My heart goes out to Larry Knight's wife and family".

Reporters at the scene described an extraordinary atmosphere at the scene of what some were calling "the greatest survival story in Australian history".

Webb and Russell were freed from the wire cage that has held them captive shortly before 7am NZT this morning.

The miners were given a medical assesment and found to be in to be in good physical condition before being bought to the surface.

"Both Brant and Todd are out of the tunnel and well," Gill said.

The men had also asked for a shower.

Australian Workers Union national secretary Bill Shorten said the miners and their families could now "go back to normal".

"Whatever normal is they are heading back to it."

Mr Shorten said the rescue team was amazing. "You can't help but conclude that we have the best mines rescue in the world," Mr Shorten said.

"The test of a rescue mission is does it succeed. You 'd have to say this is a ten out of ten success."

Mr Shorten said he believed it would emerge that the trapped miners dug their way towards their rescuers once the probe emerged into their confined space.

He said rescuers were incredulous at the small space the men spent the past two weeks. It was no gymnasium or basketball court he said.

"This was a very small space. Some of the blokes (rescuers) who were down there have come out shaking their heads. This was tiny."

Russell, 34, and Webb, 37, were entombed in a steel cage on April 25 after a tremor collapsed the rock above them in the Beaconsfield goldmine. Larry Knight, 44, was killed in the cave-in.