They found one miner dead earlier this evening near Tallmansville. Twelve remained missing.

The body of a missing coal miner was found Tuesday night as rescuers pushed deep underground in a desperate search for 12 other miners trapped by an explosion 2 miles inside the Sago Mine.

And then came the miracle that so many had begun to give up hope for.

THEY ARE ALIVE!

Twelve men walked out of that mine alive tonight.

Twelve miners caught in an explosion in a coal mine were found alive today, more than 41 hours after the blast, family members said.

Bells at a church where relatives had been gathering rang out as family members ran out screaming in jubilation.

To God be the glory -- and to the many who worked to rescue these men, our most heart-felt "Well done!"

And yet we also mourn with those who have lost a loved one or friend -- for we cannot forget that there is the one miner who met his end in this explosion.

UPDATE: And from the great joy of hearing that these men all survived, we now sink to great sadness as we learn that the reports were wrong. Only one survivor has been found, and he is hospitalized in critical condition.

SAGO, W.Va., Jan. 4 -- Great joy turned suddenly to deep sorrow Wednesday morning when stunned family members were told that 12 of the 13 miners trapped 13,000 feet into a mountainside since early Monday were dead rather than alive, as they, and the world, had been told hours earlier.

The first announcement, of a "miracle," was the result of a "miscommunication," a company official said.

I don't understand how this could have happened. How do you "miscommunicate" such news?

And yet I think my closing thoughts from the original post are still valid.

To God be the glory -- and to the many who worked to rescue these men, our most heart-felt "Well done!"

And yet we also mourn with those who have lost a loved one or friend...

And we pray as well for the sole survivor as he fights to live, and for those who still cling to hope that he will survive.

And we just have to ask the question that all such tragedies bring -- "Why?"

Posted by: Greg at 10:46 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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