Service set for fallen miner
The memorial service for fallen miner Brandon Lloyd Gray will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Mullan Athletic Pavilion.
Gray, 26, died early Saturday morning at Kootenai Medical Center from injuries he sustained in an accident Friday while working on the No. 4 Shaft project at the Lucky Friday Mine. All are welcome, and Gray's family suggest casual dress, such as hunting clothing.
He was a contracted employee with Cementation, USA. According to a media release from Hecla Mining Company, owners of the Lucky Friday, Gray and another miner were involved in routine activities involving the construction of a 16-foot diameter underground rock bin, which was being built to store broken rock. The work involved drilling, blasting and mucking of rock into a previously constructed area. For reasons that are unknown at this time, the two men were drawn into material that was moving underneath them.
"The whole Cementation family is grieving this terrible loss, and our immediate focus is in supporting Brandon's family with our assistance and our prayers," said Mike Nadon, president of Cementation U.S.A. "These next few days will be very difficult for all of us, especially the Gray family, so we would respectfully ask that you allow our folks to grieve privately. There will be plenty of time in the coming days and weeks to discuss how and what happened."
All personnel are accounted for. Both men were believed to be wearing all required personal protection equipment, the release states, including fall protection.
"Operating our mines safely is a top priority for Hecla," said Phil Baker, president and chief executive officer, "and we will continue to work to prevent such incidents from occurring."
An investigation is being conducted by an integrated team of Cementation's management group and Hecla personnel, as well as Mine Safety and Health Administration representatives.
Operations at the mine had been suspended since the accident, but they resumed Monday night starting with the graveyard shift. According to Hecla, the No. 4 Shaft project has been in progress since 2008 and is expected to further extend the mine life beyond 2030. It's expected to descend from 4,900 feet to 8,800 feet. The total project is 41 percent complete, and 80 percent of major procurements have been ordered or installed. Project completion is expected in the second half of 2014.
Hecla officials said Monday that the temporary suspension of operations shouldn't impact its full-year silver production guidance - Hecla expects to produce 9 million to 10 million ounces of silver this year at a cash cost of about $1 per ounce, net of by-products.
The accident was the second serious accident at Lucky Friday this year. Larry Marek, a 53-year-old miner, died in an accidental fall of rock in April.