Overview
- Water levels fell enough for teams to enter around 6 a.m. Thursday; a two-person crew found Steve Lipscomb’s body at 7:37 a.m., officials said.
- The mine flooded Saturday after crews struck an unknown pocket of water and an old wall was compromised about three-quarters of a mile inside the workings.
- Crews pumped roughly 6,000 gallons per minute, drilled access holes, deployed dive teams, and used long-distance wired phones to aid the search.
- Alpha Metallurgical Resources identified Lipscomb, 42, of Elkview, as a foreman last seen helping his crew escape; leaders offered condolences.
- Regulators and the company say investigations will examine the flood’s causes and legacy mine conditions; MSHA notes this is the third death at an Alpha site in West Virginia this year.