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Three Miners Rescued After 60 Hours Trapped Underground at B.C. Red Chris Mine

Rescue teams relied on drones with remote-controlled loaders to clear a massive debris blockage over three days.

Three miners are trapped underground following two cave-ins on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at the Red Chris gold-copper mine 888 km northwest of Prince George.
An overnight accident has trapped three miners underground in Red Chris mine in Northern B.C.
Image
Aerial view of the Red Chris pits mine from 2017.

Overview

  • The three Hy-Tech Drilling contractors—Kevin Coumbs, Darien Maduke and Jesse Chubaty—were brought to the surface late Thursday in good health after sheltering more than 500 metres underground.
  • Specialized drones assessed geotechnical stability and a line-of-sight loader removed a 20–30-metre-long, 7–8-metre-high debris wall to restore access to the refuge chamber.
  • The miners had consistent access to food, water and ventilation in MineARC refuge bays designed to support up to 16 people for over 48 hours.
  • Newmont and provincial ministries paused all operations at Red Chris to conduct a comprehensive investigation aimed at sharing lessons learned and reinforcing safety measures.
  • British Columbia’s Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals dispatched a geotechnical inspector and the Transportation Ministry expedited heavy-equipment permits to aid the rescue.