Keep our West Virginia coal miners in your prayers

[TottenKing]

It's 2:30 a.m. and I'm watching on CNN as rescue workers are slowly making progress toward where the 13 sons, husbands, fathers, and friends have been trapped for almost 24 hours. Mining isn't as dangerous as it used to be but there are still risks. Now we find ourselves hoping for a miracle.

It would seem like a hopeless situation but, in Quecreek PA, nine miners were rescued after 77 hours underground in 2002. These "neighbors" of mine are roughly two hours away but West Virginians are close-knit and this small town resembles dozens right around Charleston. I imagine they resemble a lot of small towns around yours. (I was born and lived much of my childhood in a small mining town, too.)

All that being said, please keep these people in your prayers. Coal miners work very physically-demanding jobs to support their families in relative security in towns where there are sometimes no other good-paying jobs. Let's pray that they return to those families soon.

Thank you and best wishes to you and your familiy this year.

 

[TottenKing]

Over 25 hours and we're getting close. The good news: it doesn't look like the blast caused catastrophic damage inside. The bad news: as they get closer to the site, air quality tests are discouraging. Keep the good thoughts coming.

 

[MsDisney23]

Let's keep Praying for the Best. My Grandfather was killed in the mines, in W. Va years back.

 

[Nite0wl71]

I am watching it now on GMA, I hope everyone is safe.

 

[momof2inPA]

Prayers for the miners and their families. It must be agonizing. I remember the relief when the PA miners were all found alive. We were at the drive-in, and they announced it over the loud speaker. Everyone cheered. May the WV miners have the same success in being rescued.

 

[binny]

We have been praying since we saw the news last night!

May God Be with them all!


Many of my extended family were Silver miners in Northern Idaho.

 

[kdibattista]

Praying for another miracle

 

[binny]

We have been praying since we saw the news last night!

May God Be with them all!


Many of my extended family were Silver miners in Northern Idaho.

 

[TottenKing]

DISboarders are the best people around. Special for MsDisney23.

 

[TottenKing]

We have lost one of our miners. It's awful. The situation in which they found the body, though, actually lends some hope about finding others alive (because the "man trip" (the thing they ride in) was unoccupied...meaning the men had left it under their own power). Please continue to pray for our WV mining families....this family who has found out they lost a loved one, the twelve other families, and the families of the men and women who have to face going back into the mines now.

 

[escape]

My heart breaks for these men and their families and friends. Miracles do happen and I'm praying for one in this case.

 

[S. C.]

Keeping them in my prayers.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Keeping the miners and families in my prayers. Hoping for a miracle.

 

[Hermosa11]

It is now 7pm (Pacific Time) and 10pm (?) (Eastern time)..........I have been
watching the news (CNN.com updates) all day.......and unfortunately heard about the one man's death (so sad). I am praying for NO more deaths.

 

[TottenKing]

We lost one but TWELVE ALIVE!!! A MIRACLE. I AM SO HAPPY AND, YES, I KNOW I'M YELLING!!!! Bless all 13 families.

 

[TottenKing]

Another update: the twelve remaining are all in good health!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

We lost one but TWELVE ALIVE!!! A MIRACLE. I AM SO HAPPY AND, YES, I KNOW I'M YELLING!!!! Bless all 13 families.

A miracle indeed.

 

[lucyanna girl]

Prayers are answered!

 

[maelcu]

Twelve Miners Killed in Sabo Mine Accident
Posted 1/3/2006 11:56 PM

Survivor listed in critical condition
Story by The Associated Press

TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) - Mine company officials have confirmed that only one of the 13 miners who hadn't been heard from since an early Monday morning explosion at an Upshur County mine survived the ordeal. Ben Hatfield, C-E-O of Sago Mine owner International Coal Group, says there was a miscommunication earlier when the families heard that 12 of the miners were found alive. Hatfield says the initial report from the rescue team to the command center indicated multiple survivors, but that information was incorrect. The surviving miner was identified as Randal L. McCloy, a 27-year-old resident of Simpson. McCloy was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Buckhannon, where he was listed in critical condition early this morning. He was to be transported later to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. The rescuers found a barricade and determined that the miners had donned their breathing masks. It's not clear how long they lived. The company news conference announcing the miscommunication didn't occur until after 3 a-m -- more than three hours after families had started celebrating the misconception that their loved ones were alive.

 

[TottenKing]

What a nightmare. I went to bed happy and just found out the news a few minutes ago. It's so much worse since they thought they had received the answers to their prayers. The man who has (so far) survived is the husband of the dark-haired woman whose picture was often shown the first day this happened. (The up-close picture of the woman crying.) New prayers, please. It's a whole new kind of awful.