This happened 40 minutes away from me, amazing story


World News

Times Online May 09, 2006
As Brant Webb and Todd Russell walked out of the Tasmanian gold mine where they had been trapped for 14 days, the family of their friend who perished underground was preparing for his funeral.

Larry Knight, 44, died after the small earthquake on April 25 which trapped the men in the Beaconsfield mine.

Mr Knight’s body was found on April 27, but Mr Webb and Mr Russell were saved by a huge slab of rock that landed on their safety cage, forming a roof that kept them from being crushed.

The trio had been working deep underground repairing a tunnel on the night shift when the quake sent tremors through the mine, trapping them while their 14 colleagues made it to the surface.

Shortly before dawn in Australia today, after two weeks trapped 1km underground in a small wire cage, the two miners walked out triumphantly – just as they said they would, raising their arms in jubilation.

But it was to a day which would bring an incredible spectre of emotion.

Wearing yellow jackets and mining helmets with their lamps shining brightly, Mr Webb, 34, and Mr Russell, 37, went straight to a large board where they removed their name cards – as if the miners were finishing a normal shift.

After two weeks prone, they were reluctant to lie down again in the waiting ambulances. Almost the entire population of Beaconsfield lined the streets - some still in their pyjamas, as the vehicles passed.

Throughout the rest of Australia, as the rescue drew close, many people slept with their radios on so they could wake as soon as any news came through. They rose at dawn to watch the rescue live on television, some hanging Australian flags from their homes to celebrate.

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper put out a special midday edition. Beaconsfield’s Club Hotel poured free beer for the rescuers.

"This is the great escape. This is the biggest escape from the biggest prison we have, the planet," Bill Shorten, the Australian Worker Union national secretary, said.

After a brief examination, doctors said that the men were in excellent health and were "tough Tasmanian miners".

Mr Russell left hospital barely four hours after being freed. He ate a steak and egg breakfast before limping into church to attend the funeral of his motorcycle-enthusiast colleague. It was not immediately clear whether Mr Webb attended, although he had told doctors he would be there.

The funeral service at St John’s Anglican Church in Launceston was told that the first question the pair were asked when they were found was "How’s Larry?"

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 40,00.html

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common ... 02,00.html

I blame Hitler.

*Australia - Austria is an intirely different country



Thats right, they were Tasmanians! and its making news around the world! clint, you launny folk are tough fuckers!

real shame about the guy that died though, and i felt sorry for the guy's family, when the other miners came out everyone was celebrating, that would have been hard for the family.

Apparently they sent a couple of ipods down to em to keep em busy while they dug em out. One of the dudes wanted Foo Fighters on it. Dave Grohl heard about this and will now fly him anywhere around the world too see them live, cause Dave wants to meet him, for being one tuff mother.

Great story with a great ending- the guy comes up and the first thing he asks for is a meat pie and a cold beer.

You can't get any more Aussie than that.

Wow, 3 non sarcastic replies my faith in this forum has been restored

I think my sarcasm wasn't understood.

well, he coulda come out and said, AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI

You'll find that it's the beer and meat pies that fuel that rowdiness.

Such tough Tasmanians would be more useful fighting the Turks, methinks.

ive only heard that chant once, and it was while watching one of the poker shows, i found it very funny, not in like a downgrading way, but more of a ha ha way

Didn't watch the Sydney olympics Peeps?

i cant say i did, the last olympics i think i watched was 92 for the dream team. otherwise i wouldnt watch most of those sports in off olympic years so why start just every 4 years