The nation's eyes were on Somerset County, Pennsylvania, as those men were brought to the surface.
The nation's eyes were on Somerset County, Pennsylvania, as those men were brought to the surface.
The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.
The nation's eyes were on Somerset County, Pennsylvania, as those men were brought to the surface.
Exactly 20 years ago Thursday, nine miners were pulled from underground after spending 77 hours trapped in Quecreek Mine.
The nation's eyes were on Somerset County, Pennsylvania, as those men were brought to the surface.
The rescue began in the middle of the night in a field on Dormel Farm.
The nine men dug into the wall of an abandoned water-filled mine, not marked correctly on a map. Millions of gallons of water rushed into the Quecreek Mine, completely flooding the entrance.
Water wasn’t the only concern, experts knew carbon was filling the mine and the men could suffocate.
Crews picked this spot, a place GPS predicted might be a high area in the mine, and began drilling for a six-inch pipe to pump-down oxygen.
Could the nine men have possibly made it here? Then a miner’s code. Tapping the pipe and then listening for a return signal. Crews heard tapping back. Somebody was alive.
Crews had no time to waste. They pumped down pressurized air to create an air bubble.
Crews kept pumping out water. Rescuers worked day and night for days to drill the escape hole. Then, the already impossible odds worsened when the drill bit broke off and clogged the hole.
The miners below didn’t know what happened. They only knew there was suddenly silence.
Watch the video above as they recount their harrowing experience.
This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.