Cargill spokesman Mark Klein told AFP that the the elevator simply “stopped and became stuck” while the miners were on their way into the mine to begin their shift, noting that the mine floor is at 2,300 feet (700 meters) and the elevator has safety brakes.
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The two miners still stuck in an elevator 900 feet below ground at the Cargill rock salt mine near Lansing, New York, are expected to be rescued soon, said Marcia Winch, spokeswoman for the Tompkins County emergency response department.
With temperatures in the elevator shaft in the teens – the same as the surface – the miners were cold but otherwise unharmed, said Shawn Wilczynski, the mine manager. Emergency workers were able to communicate via radio with the miners, who had blankets, heat packs and other supplies lowered to them.
A crane hoisted the first four to the surface in a basket around 7 a.m. Thursday at the mine in Lansing, about 40 miles outside Syracuse. Four more were rescued around 7:30 a.m. The last two were rescued a few minutes afterward. This process continued until all 17 of the miners were safely rescued and returned to the surface.
The mine employs around 200 people and mostly makes road salt but is also under the Diamond Crystal name as residential de-icing salt, according to Cargill.
It was not immediately known what caused the elevator to stall.
Klein said that once the crane arrives, it will lower down a basket to carry out miners 2-3 at a time.
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Four of 17 miners stuck in an elevator 900 feet underground at a central NY salt mine have been rescued. The health and safety of New York’s workforce is paramount and every step will be taken to ensure this incident is not repeated in the future, and anyone potentially at fault is held accountable.
