NICHOLAS COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A newly released summary from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reveals that Steve Lipscomb, a section foreman at the Rolling Thunder Mine in Nicholas County, lost his life within minutes of a sudden rush of water underground on Nov. 8.

The preliminary findings, outlined in a one-page report, indicate that water surged into the mine at approximately 12:30 p.m. Lipscomb, 42, was pronounced dead ten minutes later. His body was not recovered until Nov. 13, after floodwaters had receded enough for rescue teams to reenter the affected area.

24 Miners Underground at Time of Inundation

According to MSHA, 24 workers were in the mine—located near Drennen—when the flooding occurred. The crew had been operating in a section with a roof heigh

See Full Page