'Keep praying.' Search enters Day 4 for missing West Virginia coal miner.
- - 'Keep praying.' Search enters Day 4 for missing West Virginia coal miner.
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY November 11, 2025 at 1:01 PM
4
The search for a missing worker entered its fourth day on Tuesday, Nov. 11, after a West Virginia coal mine was flooded over the weekend, state officials said.
A section of the Rolling Thunder Mine in Nicholas County was compromised after a wall collapsed on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the location that's about a 90-mile drive east of Charleston, the state capital.
Several miners were safely evacuated after the collapse, but one miner did not surface, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said during a news conference on Monday, Nov. 10.
"This has been an around-the-clock response since Saturday, and we're going to continue to do everything imaginable to help," Morrisey said. "We're going to continue to push because we want to make sure that we give the miner every opportunity to live."
As of Tuesday, Nov. 11, officials had not publicly released the name of the miner.
"Crews are now pumping water at a rate of approximately 6,000 gallons per minute - a significant increase from earlier efforts as additional pumps became available," Morrisey released in an statement Tuesday morning. "This is another step forward in the ongoing effort to reach the missing miner."
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey speaks at an event for former Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Winsome Earle-Sears in Abingdon on November 1, 2025, in Abingdon, Virginia.Water levels continue to drop in mine
Local, state and federal agencies continued to work alongside Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc.'s safety teams, "maintaining around-the-clock coordination to ensure a safe and effective operation," according to the governor's office. Tennessee-based Alpha Metallurgical Resources owns and operates the Rolling Thunder Mine, according to the company's website.
In Morrisey's Nov. 10 update, he stated that as water levels continue to drop, crews were advancing on the drilling portion of the rescue while awaiting additional heavy equipment on scene to aid in the search.
Dive teams have explored "large swaths of the cave" where there may be air pockets, Morrisey said, adding that crews continued efforts to remove standing water.
Gov. Morrisey Provides Update on the Search for Missing Miner https://t.co/S29Ra47x0R
— Governor Patrick Morrisey (@wvgovernor) November 10, 2025
'Keep praying'
Nicholas County Commissioner Garrett Cole, in a statement posted on social media, said the missing miner was helping his crew escape to safety before he vanished.
"The missing miner is said to be a foreman of a crew who worked to ensure that everyone on his crew was getting out of the mine but got trapped behind," Cole wrote.
Cole also noted that the air and water are "approximately 52-54 degrees, which means the miner would be less likely to suffer hypothermia," but he would be more "tasked in trying to become dry and keep in an open air pocket of the mine."
"Keep praying," Cole added. "Gods arms wrap around the ends of the earth, and HE is capable of reaching His arms 3/4 a mile into the mountain to protect this miner. May God’s will be done, but it is our sincere prayer that it is to keep this miner safe and returned to his family, friends, and coworkers."
In a separate social media post, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said she was closely monitoring the situation and "staying in contact with federal and state officials for the latest information."
"Our miners are brave and courageous West Virginians who work tirelessly to power our communities," Capito wrote.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Search continues for missing coal miner in West Virginia
Source: “AOL Breaking”
