Classified by the agency as a “fall of roof” accident, mechanic John Elliott, 26, lost his life when roof measuring approximately 20ft long by 25ft wide by 6ft thick fell onto the mantrip carrying him into the mine. Two others in the carrier at the time managed to escape.
The accident occurred at Dana Mining’s 63-worker Prime No. 1 portal in Granville, Monongalia County, an operation just north of Morgantown with a mining height of 54 inches.
According to the report, the surviving workers were not injured in the incident, which specifically occurred at the mine’s No. 18 block in the No. 2 haulage entry.
Elliott had just over one year of mining experience, all of it at the Dana Mining complex, which mines the Sewickley seam.
The death is the 47th coal-mining related fatality in the United States this year.
