Mine rescue temporarily suspended

KEYSTONE — The search for a man trapped in an abandoned McDowell County coal mine is expected to resume at some point today as fans are being used to improve air quality in the shafts.

Rescue efforts to find Clay Epperly, 30, of Keystone, were stalled early Wednesday as oxygen levels in the mine dropped to create a danger. Giant fans were moved onto the site later in the day to help improve oxygen levels and were scheduled to be in place and blowing fresh air into the mine early this morning.

Tom Lusk, Chief Operating Officer for Southern Mines, owner of the 100-year-old mine in Keystone that was sealed in 1987, said the oxygen levels dropped too low for rescue workers to continue the search.

“We need to blow fresh air into the mine,” he said Wednesday afternoon, adding that large fans were being installed at the entrance. “It will take about 10 hours to get those fans up and running.”

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