President Luis Abinader flew in on a helicopter. The President and Paul Marinko, president of Cormidom, the Chinese mining corporation, were all smiles when around 11:16am, the two workers trapped in a cave-in on Sunday, 31 July 2022 at 1am, walked out unharmed. All present, including the workers’ families, celebrated.
A team of around 100 Dominican and foreign workers had toiled for 9 days, 24 hours a day to establish a bypass to reach the miners at a distance of around 74 meters.
For the workers, 28-year old Gregory Méndez Torres and Colombian 37-year old Carlos Yepez Ospina, it was a long 10 days underground. The two worked at the Cormidom copper and zinc mine in Monseñor Nouel province. The two made it out in good health and good spirits.
The miners were reached on Tuesday, 9 August 2022 morning through a newly-dug rescue tunnel (Tunnel B), a whole ten days after they got caught underground after a rockslide, the Dominican Mining Corporation (Cormidom) said in a statement. The tunnel was dug using equipment sent by the government of Canada.
President Abinader congratulated the miners for their bravery, and thanked all who had participated in the rescue operation. He prayed an Our Father Prayer for the rescued miners and the rescue crews.
Paul Marinko, president of Cormidom recognized President Abinader and the Dominican government for its support in the rescue effort. He had special thanks for the rescue teams that worked in the actual digging for the rescue, and those that coordinated the team from above, to the government of Canada, the teams of Machines Roger International, the international volunteers and rescue experts from Colorado, USA and Australia. He thanked the team of Moran Mining Group that flew in from Canada to assist in the rescue. Also the experts from Nevada Gold Mines, the affiliate of Barrick Gold Corporation and its local president Juana Barceló, the Civil Defense, the city government of Maimón and provincial authorities.
More than 70 mine experts in underground mining from Cormidom participated in the rescue operation commanded by Paul Brown, Ben Burgess and Sedden Temple, Cormidom projects manager. More than 40 geology, geotechnology, mine engineering experts from Australia, the United States, Mexico, Colombia and Perú assisted in the effort.
A medical team checked the vital signs of the rescued workers before they were flown by Air Force helicopter to be tested thoroughly for 48-72 hours at the Ramón de Lara Hospital at the San Isidro Air Force Base in eastern Santo Domingo. Initial reports are that the workers are in good health.
Colombian Carlos Yepez Ospina said that the first few days were very difficult, but he never lost hope. He said there were good conditions in the tunnel, with ventilation, hydration, food… we slept comfortably, if you can say that,” he told the press. A pipe early on was introduced to provide water and food and keep the men communicated.
Paul Marinko of Cormidom said that the plan developed to rescue the miners can be used as a model for rescue in underground mines. He explained that the initial pipe installed delivered fresh air, water, and food, and next meds, mobiles with music and pre-taped movies to entertain the men.
Rolando Muñoz, director of Mining at the Ministry of Mines & Energy, explained during the press conference that two work fronts were designed to rescue the men. One was to clean up where the tunnel had collapsed to remove the debris, and another, a steel-fenced gallery to prevent further landslides that could affect the lives of the trapped miners and the rescuers.
Collaborating for the Dominican government were teams from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the Ministry of Labor, the Mining Agency, the Humanitarian and Rescue Unit of the Army of the Dominican Republic, the Emergency Operations Committee (COE) and the Civil Defense.
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El Dia
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Mining
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Diario Libre
10 August 2022