The rescuers were trying to reach six miners that had been trapped by a large cave-in. Seismologists at the University of Utah recorded seismic activity occurring at the time of the mine’s collapse early Monday morning, August 6. MSHA said that mine officials notified them of the collapse at 3:40 a.m. Seismologists were initially unsure whether they had recorded an earthquake or a mine bump, but quickly determined that the disturbance was a mining-related event, although Murray has steadfastly maintained throughout the rescue effort that an earthquake caused the collapse.

If the miners survived, mine officials believed that they would have sought refuge at several locations between the cave-in and the active face where they were mining coal. MSHA worked with the mining company to coordinate the rescue efforts. Four mine rescue teams were assembled and made their way into the mine. Meanwhile, a small vertical drill and a larger rotary drill began punching holes from the surface to establish communications with any survivors. The miners were believed to be 1,500 ft deep and about 4 miles from the portal.

The pace of the rescue operations was slow and cautiously deliberate. A media frenzy began to build outside the mine entrance. Murray decided to act as company spokesperson and at times became emotional and lashed out at the press.

News soon broke that the miners had been performing a dangerous form of mining referred to as retreat mining. Murray denied that they were using retreat mining. MSHA Spokesperson Amy Louviere contradicted Murray, saying Crandall Canyon’s mine plan did call for retreat mining. A retreating system is defined as a system of extracting coal pillars in which the line of pillars being robbed retreats or moves from the boundary toward the shaft or mouth of the mine.

Rescuers worked around the clock in 12-hour shifts to restore ventilation controls as they advanced toward the cave-in. The miners repaired stoppings that had been blown out by the initial collapse. The miners also reported more bumps and ground movement.

The drillers on the surface punched the 2.5-in. hole through on Thursday (Aug. 9) around midnight. The drill averaged 70 ft per hour and took almost four days to reach a depth of more than 1,700 ft. A microphone was lowered into the mine through the drill string but detected no response from the miners. Rescuers began pumping compressed air into the mine through the 2.5-in. hole. At that time, the large rotary drill with an 8-in. bit had reached a depth of about 1,000 ft. On Saturday, August 11, the 8-in. drill punched through. At 8:41 a.m., a camera reached the top of the coal seam. Again, no signs of life were detected. A subsequent third and fourth holes were drilled with the same results.

By Friday (Aug. 10), rescue workers mining with a continuous miner reached crosscut No. 123. They started at No. 119. On Saturday night, at 9:06 p.m., a significant bounce occurred and all rescue workers were withdrawn and accounted for. At 10:54 p.m., a second bounce occurred. Rescue work continued following each bounce, with a total of 61 rescue workers, including two MSHA inspectors. By Monday (Aug. 13) at 3:15 p.m., the continuous miner had advanced to crosscut No. 125. On Thursday, Aug. 17, a significant bounce occurred, killing three rescue workers at 6:39 p.m.

“It’s likely these miners may not be found,” said Rob Moore, vice president, Murray Energy. Family members of the six miners who were unaccounted for, “accused the mine’s owners and federal officials of abandoning their loved ones,” according to the Associated Press.

On August 31, MSHA officials at the site announced that after a seventh borehole had been drilled into an area of the mine in which the trapped miners may have fled and had found nothing but broken coal and debris, the search effort would officially end.