Kentucky went a year with no coal-mining deaths, but now has had two in a week
After going a year without a coal-mining fatality, a second Kentucky miner has died in an accident in less than a week.
Phillip Ramsey, 58, a miner from Madisonville, was killed Tuesday at the underground Cardinal mine in Hopkins County, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet announced Wednesday.
Ramsey, who had 29 years’ mining experience, was a shuttle-car operator. He was outside his machine working on curtains that direct air flow in the mine when a piece of equipment that hauls coal, called a scoop, hit him and killed him, according to the release.
Ramsey was pronounced dead at Baptist Health Hospital.
“This man’s death is especially tragic as this is the second miner that we have lost within a week,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “Please join me in expressing my deep condolences to his family, friends and community.”
The mine is owned by Warrior Coal, a subsidiary of Alliance Resource Partners.
The state shut down the mine after the accident in order to investigate.
A 48-year-old miner, Douglas Slusher, died Oct. 9 when a coupling failed on a pressurized hose he was using to spray grass seed on an area at the Double Mountain Mining #3 surface mine in Bell County surface mine.
The hose hit Slusher in the chest, killing him.
Kentucky had five coal-mining fatalities in 2019 after several years with only one or two deaths, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 2:23 PM.
