A miner from the Rydułtowy mine in Poland’s Silesia region, who was missing 1,150 m below ground after a seismic event on Thursday morning, July 11, 2024, was found alive. After more than two days of searching in very difficult conditions, rescuers reached him at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
At the time of the event, 78 miners were working underground on a maintenance shift, 76 workers were evacuated to the surface, and 17 people were taken to Silesian hospitals. Rescuers found one deceased miner and began searching for the missing miner, who was a 34-year-old foreman with seven years’ experience. He survived for more than 50 hours in extreme conditions, in an atmosphere with a methane concentration approaching 5%, a temperature exceeding 32°C (90°F), and very high air humidity.
The mine suffered several aftershocks after the initial seismic event, which forced rescue teams to withdraw to the fresh air base. The stranded miner tried to escape, but failed to do so because of the injuries he sustained.
“We had an idea of where to look for the injured person, but there were no signs of his condition,” said Marek Skuza, a director for Polska Grupa Górnicza SA (PPG), the company that operates the mine. “We did not know in which direction the missing miner could have moved, but we knew one thing: the atmosphere in the workings was still breathable, with the right amount of oxygen. We knew that if only the injuries sustained would allow it, the employee still had a chance to live.”
Rescuers eventually reached the missing man from the second direction of rescue operations. During Friday night, rescuers were able to restore enough ventilation to access the area from a different direction. After traversing approximately 2,300 m, the rescuers dug through more than 70 m of rubble to reach the missing miner.
A total of 84 mine rescue teams, including 10 professional ones from the Central Mine Rescue Station (CSRG in Polish), participated in the operations. Rescuers from stations in many Silesian mines and mining operations rushed to the action to help: Rydułtowy, Marcel, Jankowice, Chwałowice, Wujek, Mysłowice-Wesoła, Halemba, Bielszowice from PGG SA and Zofiówka, Knurów-Szczygłowice, Budryk from JSW SA. The CSRG also secured the support of a team of psychologists who provide assistance during mining disasters.
PPG President Leszek Pietraszek expressed his sympathy and condolences to the family of the miner that perished. He also thanked the mine rescuers and all the rescue services, scientists and specialists supporting the action staff, the psychologists providing support to the injured miners and their families, the administration, and all those who participated in the efforts to save the missing miner.
The rescue operation at Rydułtowy concluded at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
