Dylan Langridge and Trevor Davis: Missing miners confirmed dead in freak accident at 125m-deep cavern
QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: Two miners who went missing at the Dugald River mine site near Cloncurry were tragically confirmed dead. 33-year-old Dylan Langridge and 36-year-old Trevor Davis were reportedly laying explosives when a 30-ton drill rig fell into a backfilled stope -- an ore extraction site -- and the ground collapsed underneath them, causing the men to plummet into a 125m deep cavern Wednesday morning, February 15.
The men were employed by Perenti, the parent company of mining contractor Barminco. Perenti's managing director Mark Norwell described the news as devastating. "I want to extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends, colleagues, and loved ones of Trevor and Dylan, both of whom should have come home safely from work yesterday," Norwell said in a statement.
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Valued team members
Langridge joined Barminco as a truck operator in March 2020, according to ABC News. He was initially stationed at Savannah before joining the service crew at Dugald River later that year. Working tirelessly at Dugald River, Langridge was promoted to the role of charge-up operator in October 2021. He is pictured alongside his wife Sinead Deakin in the following Facebook post.
Meanwhile, Davis joined Barminco as a shotcrete operator in August 2020 at Rosemont. In November 2021, he transferred to Dugald River as a charge-up operator. Norwell described both Langridge and Davis as valued team members who were respected across the board. "Our immediate and ongoing focus is on providing support to the families, friends, and colleagues of Trevor and Dylan," he said. "Barminco has been operating at MMG's Dugald River mine since early 2012 with members of our workforce residing in the local area. This tragic incident is devastating and will have a lasting impact on not only the families and friends of Trevor and Dylan, but also on the workforce of Dugald River, the Cloncurry and Mount Isa communities, and the entire Perenti workforce."
Tim Akroyd, the general manager at Dugald River, noted how everyone at the site was heartbroken by the tragedy. "Our hearts and thoughts are with the family and friends at this time and we will provide all support that we can," he said. "I'd like to sincerely thank everyone involved in the emergency response to this incident and the support we have received from the community and authorities." Trevor Davis is pictured on the far right in the following Facebook post.
According to ABC News, an investigation is underway in collaboration with Barminco and relevant authorities. Mining operations are suspended at this time.
Tributes pour in
There was a high level of concern and anxiety in the Cloncurry community "because everyone knows somebody that works at a mine," Cloncurry Shire Council Mayor Greg Campbell noted. He said he, with the Cloncurry community, "expresses our deepest condolences to the families of Dylan and Trevor," adding, "Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this tragic time. The flags at the community precinct will fly at half mast in respect of Dylan and Trevor." Meanwhile, Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said it was a sad day for everyone involved. "A tragedy like this affects a wide circle of people, but at the heart of it are two families who are dealing with a tremendous loss. Our hearts go out to them," he said.
Several investigations would likely be carried out over the course of the next couple of months, per University of Queensland mining expert David Cliff. "I think the fact that we continue to have fatalities in general in our mining industry indicates a need for greater vigils," he told ABC News. "There will be an investigation by the Resource Safety and Health Queensland. Because there have been fatalities, there will be a coroner's investigation as well. I'd imagine there might even be a higher level commission inquiry, so there are a number of inquiries and investigations with a potential prosecution," Cliff added.