‘Goosebumps’ and euphoria after workers trapped in B.C. mine were freed

It was a “euphoric” moment as three drilling company workers were brought to safety after spending more than 60 hours trapped underground in a mine in a remote area of northwestern British Columbia, their employer said Friday.

The workers who had been sheltering in a steel refuge 284 metres below ground emerged after a complex, high-stakes rescue mission involving drones, a remote-controlled scoop machine and a special protected rescue vehicle.

Hy-Tech Drilling’s president Dwayne Ross thanked everyone involved in the rescue effort at the Red Chris mine, where the workers surfaced at around 10:40 p.m. Thursday.

He told a news briefing that the men -- Kevin Coumbs, Darien Maduke and Jesse Chubaty -- would soon be back in Smithers, B.C., where Hy-Tech is based.

Bernard Wessels, the global safety chief for the mine’s operator, Newmont Corp., said there were “goosebumps and happiness” when the contractors escaped the gold and copper mine, about 500 kilometres northwest of Terrace, B.C.

The men “held hope and strength through their every moment,” he told the briefing.

The men were to be reunited with their families on Friday, Wessels said.

A statement from Newmont said the workers were in “good physical and mental condition” when they were found.

“As a precaution, they were taken for medical evaluations and offered access to counselling,” it said, adding that reuniting the workers with their families was the immediate focus.

Hy-Tech issued a statement Friday including a photo of the three men standing with Ross and a company director in front of the helicopter taking them home.

“Bringing our team safely back to surface was a moment of immense relief,” Ross said in the statement.

The trio had been trapped by two “falls of ground” that blocked an access tunnel.

Wessels described the remote-controlled machine used in the operation as “big, big pieces of equipment,” with the scoop clearing a path to allow the rescue vehicle to pass through a blockage about 20 metres long.

“With the area stabilized, the emergency response team advanced across the impacted zone using equipment with an engineered falling object protect system,” he said, referring to an enclosure on a vehicle used in dangerous locations.

“Upon reaching the refuge chamber, the team found Kevin, Darien, and Jesse in stable condition. Together with the emergency response team, they returned to (the) surface using the same protective equipment.”

He said the men walked on their own to the rescue vehicle and they were taken out one by one.

Wessels said the response showed that “safety protocols work,” adding the men did “exactly what they were trained to do.”

The first fall of ground had occurred at 7:47 a.m. Tuesday, prompting the men to retreat to the refuge equipped with air, food and water, before the second, bigger fall around 10:30 a.m.

Wessels said the refuge was about 700 metres from where both falls occurred.

He said the men were found in “healthy spirits,” telling rescuers they had managed to catch up on their sleep.

Newmont, based in Denver, Colo., said in a statement that the outcome was a “result of tireless collaboration, technical expertise, and above all, safety and care.”

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the rescue teams and all those involved.”

No prior fall-of-ground events had occurred in the tunnel where the men became trapped, the company said, adding it had been subjected to routine inspections.

“This incident was highly localized and unexpected” the statement said. “A full investigation will be conducted to determine the root cause and share learnings with the broader industry.”

Wessels told Friday’s briefing that the mine doesn’t have a history of geotechnical instability and the fall-of-ground incidents occurred in a “very localized area.”

“This one caught us by surprise and we need to go and understand that,” he said.

The mine is subject to daily and monthly inspections, as well as “second line of defence” inspections by external observers, Wessels said.

“We will do an extensive inspection and investigation into this incident, and ultimately we will share the results of this incident so that we can learn from that. But it’s not a common thing, and it’s not a common thing for this operation,” he said.

Still, he said falls of ground are a risk across the mining industry.

“That’s why we’ve got standards and protocols that we put in place.”

B.C. Premier David Eby hailed the outcome and the “heroic work of the rescue team.”

“The three drillers demonstrated remarkable courage over the 60-plus hours of being trapped underground,” he said.

A statement from Mines Minister Jagrup Brar later Friday said it was a “proud day” for the province.

“We breathe a collective sigh of relief and express our profound thanks in celebration of the rescue and safe return of the three workers,” he said.

“As we move forward, we reflect on the impact of this incident and the lessons we can glean from it.”

Brar said the ministry’s chief inspector had begun an investigation into the incident, the results of which would be made public.

The three workers had been identified on Thursday by Hy-Tech, saying Coumbs was from Ontario, Maduke was from B.C. and Chubaty was from Manitoba.

It described Coumbs and Chubaty as drillers and Maduke as a driller’s helper.

A Facebook page belonging to Chubaty issued a post Friday saying it had been a “wild week” and he thanked people for reaching out.

“Glad to be outta there!” the post read. “To all my mining brothers stay safe down there and to everyone else as well!”

Newmont said open-pit operations had resumed at the Red Chris. Those operations are separate from the underground project, it said.

“The underground area where the incident occurred remains secured. No work will resume there until a full investigation is completed and safety is reassessed.”

Michael Goehring, president of the Mining Association of B.C., issued a statement Friday thanking rescuers and commending the successful effort.

“Newmont’s rescue operation is a testament to the commitment, skill, and readiness of mine rescue teams across British Columbia who, at a moment’s notice, willingly place themselves in harm’s way to keep others safe,” he said.

The effort involved mine rescue professionals from both Red Chris and the Brucejack mine in the same region, he noted.

By Brenna Owen.

With files from Ashley Joannou in Vancouver.