Three people missing since last weekend were found alive Wednesday in a nonoperational coal mine in West Virginia, authorities said.
The three were found Wednesday inside Elk Run Coal’s Rock House Powellton mine near Clear Creek, the state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training said in a statement.
The statement didn’t indicate their conditions. It said crews were working to bring them to the surface for transportation to a hospital.
The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office had identified them as Kayla Williams, 25, of Artie; Erica Treadway, 31, of Pax; and Cody Beverly, 21, of Dorothy. They’d been missing since Saturday. An abandoned ATV the four were believed to be riding was found near the mine entrance.
On Monday night, 43-year-old Eddie Williams of Artie walked out of the mine.
It’s unknown whether Kayla and Eddie Williams are related. It’s also unclear why they were at the mine or what condition they were in.
Crews had used fans to move fresh air into the mine while pumps cleared some standing water inside the mine but the water levels remained too high and hampered search efforts.
According to the mine safety office, coal has not been mined at the underground location for two years.
