Three diamond drillers trapped more than 60 hours underground in northern British Columbia’s Red Chris mine have been successfully rescued and reunited with their families, following a tense and meticulously coordinated recovery operation. The rescue marked a moment of relief for the entire mining community and has triggered renewed conversations around safety, technology, and emergency preparedness in Canada’s mining industry.
The miners, identified as Kevin Coumbs from Ontario, Darien Maduke from British Columbia, and Jesse Chubaty from Manitoba, were working for Hy-Tech Drilling when two separate rockfalls cut them off from the surface early Tuesday morning. The incidents occurred more than 500 metres into the underground zone of the mine, which is situated on Tahltan Nation territory near Dease Lake, approximately 420 kilometres west of Fort Nelson.
Following the initial collapse at 7:47 a.m. local time, the workers managed to reach a designated steel refuge chamber. A second, larger rockfall later that morning severed communications, leaving the men isolated without contact from the outside world. The chamber, however, had been equipped to support up to 16 people with essential supplies like air, food, and water, making it a critical safe haven while rescue efforts were underway.
Bernard Wessels, head of health and safety for Newmont Corporation—the mine’s operator—confirmed the men were freed at 10:40 p.m. PT Thursday. According to Wessels, the rescue required careful excavation of a 20- to 30-metre pile of debris, using a remote-controlled scoop and drones to survey the unstable area. Once safe conditions were confirmed, a specially designed vehicle was used to reach the chamber and escort the workers to the surface.
The drillers, Wessels noted, were in good health and even joked that the ordeal gave them a chance to catch up on sleep. Nevertheless, Newmont has pledged to provide counseling and mental health support to help them process the incident.
The company has suspended all underground operations at Red Chris while it launches an independent investigation into the causes of the rockfalls. British Columbia’s Ministry of Mines has also begun its own probe under the province’s Mines Act. Meanwhile, the surface-level open-pit operations at the site will continue.
Premier David Eby praised the rescue effort as “heroic,” while Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals Jagrup Brar called it a “proud day” for British Columbia. Both stressed the importance of learning from the event to enhance future safety practices across the industry.
The Red Chris mine, originally opened in 2015, is a joint venture between Newmont (70 percent) and Imperial Metals (30 percent). The site began its transition to block-cave underground mining in 2019—a method designed to extend the mine’s lifespan by over a decade. The tunnel the workers had been operating in was only opened in 2023 as part of this transition. Block-cave mining involves targeting ore from below, making it a complex and sometimes hazardous operation that requires precise planning and constant monitoring.
The mine’s location on Tahltan territory has long been a point of discussion in British Columbia. The 2015 co-management agreement between Newmont and the Tahltan Nation was a milestone in Indigenous consultation in the resource sector. Today, more than 220 Tahltan people are employed at Red Chris, and the operation contributes more than $100 million annually to the local economy.
While the successful rescue has been met with widespread relief, environmental and safety advocates are already calling for deeper scrutiny. The mine has previously faced legal and environmental challenges, including a Supreme Court ruling over its tailings pond in 2010 and ongoing concerns about water safety and seismic stability.
As investigations unfold, Red Chris is likely to become a case study in how modern mines balance efficiency with safety, environmental responsibility, and community partnership. For now, though, the focus remains on the safe return of three men who endured nearly three days underground—and the teams whose commitment and expertise brought them home.
