West Virginia Governor Honors Coal Miner Who Lost His Life While Saving His Crew From A Flooded Mine

These are the real heroes we should look up to.

As a West Virginia native, I grew up around coal mining. I still remember when my grandparents had a coal house in their garage, and seeing my grandpa come home covered in coal dust from working in the mine. (In fact, when he passed away the only thing of his I wanted to keep was his lunch bucket that he took into the mines). Even my mother-in-law worked in the coal mines, and was the first woman to graduate from her college with a degree in mining engineering.

Coal mining is just a way of life for many West Virginia families.

I know coal miners are looked down upon by the people who want to get rid of it in favor of clean energy, but the men and women who go down into the mines every day to not only provide for their own families but to keep the lights on for millions of homes in our country are some of the bravest and toughest folks you’ll ever find.

Unfortunately, it’s also a dangerous job, and tragedies in the industry are all too common. I still remember watching the news around the clock during the Sago mine disaster back in 2006, waiting for updates on the trapped miners and praying that they were somehow able to survive. Tragically, 12 were killed and only one miraculously survived after being trapped for two days.

Last weekend, the Mountain State and the coal mining community was unfortunately hit with another tragedy when a crew became trapped in a flooding mine.

According to Nicholas County Commissioner Garret Cole, a 17-person crew working in the Rolling Thunder Mine struck a pocket of water during routine operations, causing the mine to quickly flood. That’s when the crew foreman, 42-year old Steve Lipscomb, helped his crew evacuate before the mine shaft filled with water.

Unfortunately, his actions prioritizing the safety of his crew ended up costing Lipscomb his own life, as his body was found on Thursday when search crews were finally able to safely enter the mine.

According to Alpha Metallurgical Resources, the company that owns the mine, Lipscomb was last seen helping his crew out of the flooding mine.

“Our hearts are broken. Steve joined our company in 2006 and was a dedicated employee, respected leader and friend to many. His actions to ensure the safety of his crew members were heroic. On behalf of the entire organization, we extend our prayers and deepest sympathies to his wife, two children and all who knew and cared for him.”

Miraculously, all of the other miners survived.

Lipscomb was not only a coal miner but a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a Purple Heart recipient, truly the best that West Virginia and our country has to offer.

And yesterday, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey ordered that flags in the Mountain State be lowered to half staff in honor of Lipscomb and his bravery in saving so many others:

“Our coal miners represent some of the most courageous among us, and Steve was a testament to that.” 

Even WVU’s basketball coach, Ross Hodge, paid tribute to Lipscomb during his press conference after beating rival Pitt on Thursday:

Lipscomb is the fifth coal miner killed in West Virginia this year.

Unfortunately, tragedies like this are all too common in the coal mining industry. But so are brave men and women like Steve Lipscomb who go underground every day. And those are the kinds of heroes this country should be recognizing, not celebrities or influencers or CEOs sitting in their office.