ELKO, Nev., Oct. 28, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A miner from Goshen, Utah was killed Thursday afternoon after a roof collapse at a gold mine north of Elko, Nevada.
The Elko Daily Free Press reported the man has been identified as Jason Holman, 42.
The incident occurred at Jerritt Canyon Gold’s Lee Smith Mine, run by Small Mine Development, at approximately 5:10 p.m.
Small Mine Development’s general manager, Keith Jones, told the Elko Daily Free Press that Holman was “loading a round and was involved in a fall of ground near the end of his shift.”
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration’s spokeswoman Amy Louviere added that Holman was “loading blast holes underground when the cemented backfill roof fell, causing fatal injuries. MSHA has inspectors at the mine site and has secured the scene.”
MSHA received a call that there had been a ground fall at 5:10 p.m. and one miner was unaccounted for, so SMD mine rescue crews were on the way to the mine, the preliminary report states.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and SMD following this devastating event and tragic loss,” Jerritt Canyon Gold’s president and chief executive officer, Greg Gibson, said in an email. “Jerritt Canyon Gold is making every effort to support the family and our employees at this time. We are investigating the incident to better understand what happened. The health and safety of our employees and contractors at our mine remain our top priority.”
MSHA, the state mine inspector and Elko County Sheriff’s Department are assisting in the investigation.
MSHA data shows this is the first mine fatality in Nevada this year.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
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