[sanjuro]

Tweaker alert:

2 men who sneaked into mine found safe

By BRIAN FARKAS, Associated Press WriterTue Aug 1, 12:20 PM ET

Two men who sneaked into a closed coal mine to search for scrap metal to sell were rescued after they became lost about 3,000 feet inside the mine, authorities said. Crews found Franklin Johnson, 44, and Glen Edelman, 35, Monday evening, a few hours after family members reported them missing.

They were treated at a hospital and released.

The rescuers traced them by following the fumes from a fire the two had set after their flashlight failed as they hunkered down in the mine, authorities said. An expert said they were lucky they didn't set off an explosion or suffocate themselves.

The men, who were last seen Saturday, didn't have any food but there was water in the mine to drink, State Police Trooper 1st Class R.H. Green said.

Holly Johnson, 26, said her brother-in-law stopped by Saturday morning to borrow a flashlight and said he was going to the mine to look for scrap metal.

"We didn't think nothing of it," she said. "He's always looking for ways to get money, to pay the bills and eat."

Green said Johnson and Edelman managed to get into the mine by crawling through a hole in the ground that looked like "a groundhog hole." The rescuers had to use an excavator to enlarge the hole so they could enter the mine, he said.

The mine, which is owned by Massey Energy Inc., closed in 1993, and the entrance was barricaded to keep people out. Shane Harvey, a Massey lawyer, said rescue crews found tools and copper wiring in the mine and hoped the men would be charged with trespassing.

"It's very dangerous to break into a mine," he said. "They really risked their lives for very little."

 

[blue]

BWAHAHA!

"Heya Glen, lets set us a fire in this here coal mine!"

 

[jimmydean]

"He's always looking for ways to get money, to pay the bills and eat."

Is that what they call a meth habbit now? "Hey man, can I get a dime bag? I need to pay the bills and eat..." That's funny yo me for some reason.

 

[stevew]

 

[MudGrrl]

how embarrassing.

 

[valve bouncer]

StevieW...on fire today cobber.

 

[jonKranked]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to stevew again.

 

[Mike B.]

I realize this was probably meth related in some way but growing up in western PA (coal mine country), breaking in to old mines was fairly common. Many times when they close the mines, they leave everything below ground and sometimes flood them to discourage people from going back in after valuables. Since the large equipment is assembled below ground during the mining, it is cheaper to leave it down there than disassemble.

The article didn't say, but I would guess these guys were miners at one point and knew what kind of stuff gets left behind. That and who in their right mind (I realize they probably weren't in their right mind) climbs in to a mine through a tiny little hole that most would probably never be able to find.

 

[dhbuilder]

and who in their right mind (I realize they probably weren't in their right mind) climbs in to a mine through a tiny little hole that most would probably never be able to find.

the same folks who would break into a fully operating and live electrical substation. (with a bazillion volts buzzin all around)
to steal the copper wire.

that actually happened here a couple of weeks ago.
frikkin stupid @$$ meth heads.

 

[urbaindk]

the same folks who would break into a fully operating and live electrical substation. (with a bazillion volts buzzin all around)
to steal the copper wire.

that actually happened here a couple of weeks ago.
frikkin stupid @$$ meth heads.

Apparently this not uncommon around there.

I knew an attorney in Knoxville (ex-girlfriends Mom) whose client was sueing TVA in a wrongful death suit. The clients husband and son went out and were shooting the insulators on high tension lines with a 30-06 so the could steal the wire and the husband got fried to a crisp. (Don't ask me how in the hell this could be TVA's fault.)

Do you have any idea how many watts of power are coming out of Bullrun steam plant? I don't, but I would hazard a guess that it would be a heaping-ass load.

 

[dhbuilder]

enough to keep me from trying to steal the copper wire leading into and out of it.

but hey.
i'm not a meth head.
to each his own.