Rescue efforts continue for two men trapped in collapsed coal tipple at Pontiki Plant

Responders work to rescue two men trapped under the Pontiki Coal tipple that collapsed on them Tuesday evening.

BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

PILGRIM — A search and rescue for two men trapped at the Pontiki Coal Preparation Plant in Martin County continued at 11:45 p.m. Tuesday. The men became trapped at around 6:30 p.m. when a 12-story coal tipple they were dismantling collapsed.

The two, part of the Stanley Skeens Contracting team disassembling and salvaging equipment at the idled preparation plant, were on the first floor when the tipple fell.

Inez, Warfield and Pigeon Roost fire departments, Martin County Rescue, Patriot Ambulance and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office were initially dispatched to the scene.

Rescuers immediately reported they had communicated with one of the men but had not yet established communication with the second.

According to first responders, the man they communicated with remained trapped under steel, concrete and debris from the waist down late last night.

A specialty rescue team of four from Pikeville entered the crumbled and unstable structure from above. They made physical contact with that man while others at the scene held their breath, knowing one slip could bring down tons of debris upon them. The team rendered first aid to the victim, had him on oxygen and were preparing to start an IV at around 11:30 p.m.

The rescuers inside the tipple were using their hands to lift concrete from the victim.

Martin County Sheriff John Kirk said all volunteers, rescuers and professionals in all capacities were working as a team in the dangerous mission.

“They all have one goal and they’re all risking their lives,” Kirk said. “Unless you see for yourself what the scene entails, you cannot understand the danger involved in this recovery.”

The sheriff did not speak to the cause of the collapse but said a structural engineer would make that determination.

“The most important thing is that everyone pray for the two men that are trapped and each person on scene risking their lives to try to rescue and save the two men,” said Kirk.

The sheriff did say the effort could potentially take days.

While en route to the scene, Kirk called for the confined space rescue team from Pikeville and instructed first responders to get cribblock delivered to the site. He asked if there was an excavator and other construction equipment at the location along with keys that could assist rescue and recovery efforts.

The sheriff requested all available units respond due to the magnitude of the collapse.

His request brought every first responder from within Martin County. It also brought Martin County Emergency Management, fire departments from Pikeville, Ashland and Catlettsburg, a rescue team from the Marathon Refinery in Catlettsburg and the Kentucky Emergency Management.

Pilgrim resident Billy Adkins delivered lighting on a flatbed truck while Kentucky Emergency Management brought additional lighting. 

At around 7:45 the sheriff requested the dispatcher contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, MSHA, and the Kentucky Division of Mines and Minerals, all of whom responded to the scene.

Troopers with the Kentucky State Police Post 9 radioed at 8:45, saying they would be responding and asking if any hazardous material or explosive was inside the structure when it collapsed.

Unofficial reports from witnesses in the vicinity were that they were unsure if there had been an explosion as the sound of the building hitting the ground made them wonder. Due to the structure’s size and weight, a large cloud of dust was visible for several miles and debris flew through the air for hundreds of feet.

Around midnight, the Ashland fire department requested mutual aid from Greenup County, asking that Greenup County bring their airbags.

This story will be updated as information becomes available.

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