Only one alive

only one miner is alive...a lot of misinformation, and the families are fighting...the only miner who made it is in critical condition and it looks like he will make it though...but 12 of the 13 are dead

This truly was a sad turn of events. I have been up sick tonight and could not sleep, so I have watched this unfold. This truly goes to show how bad the media (in my opinion I think they are who is the most to blame here) can escalate something that may or may not be true.

Right now I would really like to slap Rita Cosby on MSNBC. She is placing all the blame on ICG, and the Governor for not reacting quickly enough. Yes, it is bad that they waited 2 hours, but at least they did wait to make sure of the entire facts instead of spouting off without the right information like had happened earlier.

Also she just turned said the ventilation curtain was a fan designed to pull out CO2, and methane when there are high levels. She is definetly a person who wants to place blame, and point fingers before waiting to see the full facts.

I cannot imagine what must be going through the minds of the families, and the roller coaster of emotions tonight. Of course they are showing repeatedly the woman, and her husband who say they are going to sue, and others who are extremely angry. I have only saw one interview of a lady (probably mid-20s) who was thinking logically, and not already pointing fingers.

My prayers do go out to these folks. It is a terribly tragic episode.

Unbelieveable that anyone let this happen. To bring these people such joy to destroy them later.
I can't even begin to imagine what these people have been put through.
From joy to despair and disbelief. I can't believe the company, media or who ever leaked such misinformation.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families and friends of the miners involved in the tradgedy.

That happens, but the problem is anymore, the media is so big, instead of it being limited, it got out big time.

I remember when the South Mountain mining disaster happened, there the reports were positive once or twice only to end badly. We have such an aggressive media now, instead of it being limited, it gets shared with all, nearly immediately.

Very sad news. Has put me in a horrible mood for the day.

You know what I don't understand....is how people can say they are Christians and praise God one minute, and then the very next yelling and cussing the mine officials in the church. And say that they are questioning if there is even a God at all, and when one of the church members who helped build the church asked the people to pray for the one miner who is alive, someone said "what has God done for us?" In my opinion that is what is wrong with this world today.



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Well people are people, humans and humans have faults, so be they a church member or not, sometimes emotions get the best of them.

ya know, i was wondering a long time if this wasnt misinformation. I had been talking to my father and he told me beforehand that there was no possible way that they could be alive. He gave me a million different scenarios of what could have went wrong and the chances of them making it out alive. Its a sad sad day folks, maybe this will give people a little more appreciation of what miners go through and have to think about every day on the job.

Yes--in times of strife and difficulty, people are more likely to get emotional than rational and accept what's going on. Those same people who were praising God were doing so because of their elation over the miners supposedly being alive. When it was confirmed that they were all dead but one, it was a shock from one emotional state to a totally opposite emotion of anger and despair. People are only human and we're fickle, and it shows in extreme times such as this event.

I have a feeling the mine foreman is who let the cat out of the bag. I know they talked about I believe him, and/or the superintendent being related to one or two of the men who were trapped.

Although it was a long delay, I do appreciate the fact the ICG, and the governor waited to make sure they had the full facts before breaking the unfortunate news.

What was sad some papers had done printed the information. I heard one radio station still announcing it as a miracle. Later the announcer come on and apologized. He said he had been receiving calls that the news he was giving was not what had taken place.
That instead of 12 of the 13 found alive. One of the men had been found alive but in critical condition, and the other 12 men had died.
This man was really torn up over what he had been announcing as a miracle.
It's a sad day.
Pray for all the families and the one man involved and keep them in your thoughts.
Some i know have to be distraught to be so overjoyed one minute, for it to turn to confusion mayhem and then reality.
And before anyone can judge the people for their reaction. Put yourself in their place. You have endured how long awaiting news about your family member, you hear what maybe even you didn't think was possible, to only hrs later learn what you feared actually has happened.
It's a fragile thing to mess with a person emotionally. People are only human.
God Bless and be with all these people and the whole community there.
I can't even begin to imagine all the pain.

A station I used to work at ran taped news a lot. It was an AM/FM combo that was only live on AM in the mornings. The jock left at noon, so he'd tape the 11 am news and put it in the computers to play the rest of the day. Some stations probably still do that overnight - tape the news at 11 or 12 and play it until 5 am or so.

The men left notes they were not suffering.
I guess not CO2 just slowly puts you to sleep as it destroys your brain and kills you.
They knew they would never see their families again.
So they wrote to them. How hard is that.
I won't see my wife again. Won't see my son, daughter, grandchildren etc.
Men it's time we write the letters we need to write before we perish.
All i will say after some 200 plus violations. Coal production was down but man hrs were up as were violations.
I hope some coal owner got rich off these men. So he can pay their families till the last family member is gone. Grandchild to whatever.
This was something that should not of happened and a media nightmare.
What a way to treat people.
From juvelation to dispair and planning funerals.
Then some question the hostility.
Well if it was my dad, brother, son, cousin, uncle etc.
Yeah i think i may a bit pissed, to think they survived the worst thing we could of thought, to later find out they perished and the one surviving person may never recover. Or if he does he may be a mere vegetable.
We know how that ends. We seen that in the young woman we the US let die of dehydration, so her husband who had another family could be at peace.
What a country we have become.
One totaly screwed up by trying to be so damn correct. We let anything go on any more. We have no values no more.
I love this country. But it sure ain't what it use to be. At one time we stood for something. Now we accept anything.
What went wrong?

Such a relief that they left notes. Trust me: I know firsthand how agonizing and painful it is wondering what your dad's last few hours alive were like. I'll never know sadly, but I am thankful that these folks know that their loved ones had the time to be ready to go, and provide some comfort to those they left behind.

True.

But it should of never happened. New company takes over knowing the history and violations and does what?

A freak of nature storm. Hit a mine that is known as a heavy methane producer.
Who's butt does the suspoedly freak of nature storm cover. The new owner's of course.

Same story same out come. Big mining wins those who lose lose, even their lives in this case.

Don't worry though these mine owners will be ok. Just move on and change the names of their mines and open them in different name and still get rich off those who need to earn a living.

Yeah im glad they got to write their families. But i would rather of seen them come out like i think it was said they were going to. But oh well.
Were a nation of accepting anything now. Why not accept anything as usual.

Obviously I would have rather seen them come out alive too (who wouldn't). I was simply saying that I'm glad they had the chance to leave a note. I'd have given anything to have had one. Where the blame lies-those will be dealt with.

I know where your coming from bro.

Just don't see it happening any more with this country. We have become a country of whatever.
Some thing that makes mad but we have. We talk about the Vietman era and all the protesting.
What happened to protesting to what was right.
You can't say a prayer today. No Ten Commandments. No well hell there is more no's then there are yes's.

I just hope a few know where i am coming from. Tired of seeing this country try to be politically correct while it loses all it's moral values.

This loss just brings up more. Did they die from what was stated or from what someone wants us to believe.
What happened to honesty and respectability in this country?

And bro don't take nothing towards you. I know where your coming from.

But a lot of things i don't understand about our country and the people themselves anymore.
Were a yes group any more, we don't question or stand up for anything anymore. That bothers me.
As the song says if you don't stand for something. Well you will fall for anything.

Well come to the US. We accept any thing and fall for anything. Just say you will protest it or take it to court and declare it unconstitutional.
Yeah that will work. Cause we as Americans have no back bone no more.
Hell were not even the #1 language in our own country no longer. I think Spanish is. Yet this is what country and we were speaking what language well before when?

Oh well we are falling for anything. So let's see how far we fall before we take it back.

These men died doing what all, well most us do. working for a living. Yet a freak storm and lightning strike takes their lives? Ok. I believe that.
Just as they were all found alive, which i also believed at first as a miracle.

Oh well America. We stand for anything you want to bring. And we will fall or bend over backwards for anything stupid or foolish.

This was one story that really hurt to watch and wait to see if any was found alive. To all the families that have loved ones that work in the coal mines it is a nightmare. I for one have family that still work in the mines and will continue until they retire. They are at the age now that this is all they know to do and ofcoarse the money is why they started in the first place. I watched my dad for 25years work in a mines and it terrified me. My heart goes out to all the families that rely on the mines for a living. There are still many questions left and I doubt if all the answers will be given in this mine explosion. I know on CNN news they reported that the owner of the mines now has donated 2 million dollars to the families. Also their is some kind of compensation for all of them until their loved one would of turned 60. But one of the miners was already 61. Sad story and my prayers are with all the families involved and for all the ones that have loved ones still working in the mines.

The Govt. also has donated so much money for Kentucky and West Virginia mines for training in cases like these. IMO all states that carry coal should have the same advantage too. Virginia may not be as big of a coal state as the others but the lives of our miners should matter too.