Three workers who were trapped in a gold and copper mine in western Canada have been rescued after spending more than 60 hours underground.
The Red Chris mine, operated by Newmont Corporation, said the men were safely brought to the surface late Thursday. They had been trapped since Tuesday morning after two rockfalls blocked their way out.
The workers — Kevin Coumbs, Darien Maduke, and Jesse Chubaty — work for a Canadian company called Hy-Tech Drilling. Newmont said all three men were in good health and good spirits.
“This was a carefully planned and well-executed rescue,” the company said in a statement.
Newmont, which is based in Denver, explained that drones and a remote-controlled digging machine were used to remove a large pile of fallen rock. The rockfall was about 20 to 30 meters long and 7 to 8 meters high.
Once the path was cleared, a rescue team was able to reach the men, who were sheltering in a special safety room called a refuge chamber, and bring them to the surface.
The workers had access to food, water, and fresh air while waiting to be rescued. Medical and support teams are now helping them, and their families have been informed.
The Red Chris mine is located in a remote part of northern British Columbia, about 1,600 kilometers north of Vancouver.
B.C.’s Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals, Jagrup Brar, posted on social media that he was very relieved the workers would be going home to their families.
Before the rescue, Newmont’s global safety leader, Bernard Wessels, had said drones helped find a safe path to the chamber where the men were trapped.
