Crandall Canyon Mine – Rescue Effort Tragedy

Tonight was yet another sad night in Huntington, Utah. While trying to reach six miners trapped in the Crandall Canyon Mine, another cave in occurred injuring six and killing three rescue workers.

I was just returning from the office to prepare to go back down to the mine the next day when I received a call from my mom. Actually three calls. I knew on the third call I should pick it up. “Something bad has happened,” she says. “They don’t know but there are helicopters and ambulances outside the mine in Huntington.” I quickly called my boss and said I would leave then. Two and a half hours later I was in Price outside of the hospital where some of the rescue workers were transported after the accident.

On my way in I saw a group gathering, starting to light candles. While my coworker was waiting for word about any of the rescue workers, I went back to the roadside vigil. They were mourning the death of a cousin and other community members. Azure had just lost her cousin, Dale, a mine rescue worker, and was still waiting to hear about her father’s cousin, Kerry Allred, one of the miners trapped in the mine.