Boone Miner Trapped in Roof Fall

A coal miner suffered a broken bone after he was briefly trapped by a roof fall at an underground mine in Boone County, state officials said.

The incident was reported to state officials shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, said a dispatcher at the state Division of Homeland Security, which handles industrial emergency calls.

By 7 p.m., the miner was out of the mine, said Ron Wooten, director of the state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training.

He likely had a broken collar bone and was complaining of back pain, Wooten said.

“And there’s always concerns about internal injuries,” he said.

The miner was taken by HealthNet to Charleston Area Medical Center General Hospital.

The incident occurred at Newtown Energy’s Eagle Mine on Joe’s Creek near Comfort, officials said.

A piece of rock located where the mine wall intersects with the roof apparently fell on him, Wooten said.

On Wednesday evening, state inspectors were on their way to investigate.

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