Wife of worker killed in KY coal plant collapse remembers him as ‘great husband, a good father’
Paula Daniels, the wife of Billy Ray “Bo” Daniels, confirmed he was the man who died at the coal preparation plant collapse Tuesday evening in Martin County.
She was there that night at the bottom of the hill, away from the collapsed building. Authorities wouldn’t let her go up. She wanted to get closer to the scene but they wouldn’t let her because of safety concerns.
Daniels wanted to tell him, “I’m here and I love you,” she told the Herald-Leader.
Billy Daniels was one of two workers present when the 11-story tipple at the Pontiki Prep Plant near Middlefork Wolf Creek Road collapsed Tuesday evening, trapping the men under tons of concrete and steel.
Daniels was trapped under a metal beam which had his leg pinned in the rubble, according to Martin County Sheriff John Kirk. Rescuers attempted to free him, but moving the beam caused the whole rubble pile to shift, which created too much danger for a rescue.
Kirk said Daniels agreed to an effort to have his legs amputated in order to be rescued from the rubble.
Surgeons had amputated one of Billy’s legs when he died, Paula Daniels said.
“They did everything in their power to save this man’s life,” Kirk said.
The Daniels were able to share messages with one another before he died, Kirk said.
“He was a wonderful person,” Paula Daniels said. “He was a great husband, a good father and the most amazing grandfather.”
Local officials met privately with family members at the Buck Branch United Baptist Church around 3:30 p.m. Thursday before taking them to the scene.
Billy Daniels’s body had not been recovered as of Thursday afternoon. First responders were still searching for the second worker, who remained unidentified.
“We haven’t given up hope, it remains a rescue operation,” said Lon Lafferty, Martin County judge-executive. “We pray that those efforts will be successful.”
This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 4:04 PM.
