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Miner Miracle One Year Later

Aired July 24, 2003 - 15:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a year ago today, our attention was focused on Somerset County, Pennsylvania. That's where a mine had flooded, and nine miners were inside. For three days, our nation watched a frantic rescue operation.
Our Jeff Flock recently returned to the hometown of the men now known as the miracle miners.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, he's a classic miner. That face is classic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at that smile.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLOCK (voice-over): John Unger, then and now.

(on camera): Would you rather be a farmer or a miner?

JOHN UNGER, MINER: I would like to be a farmer, but the miners pay the bills.

FLOCK (voice-over): Randy Fogle shows us extraordinary pictures from the bottom of the mine. That's the rescue shaft. He's gone back to work right where it all happened.

RANDY FOGLE, MINER: I don't feel that anybody was at fault, really.

FLOCK: He's in the minority. Six have sued, claiming negligence led to the near-disaster. Their lawyer tells us they can't work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Post-traumatic stress. It's shell-shock, whatever name you want to give it.

FLOCK: They're not alone. A criminal investigation continues. And this man, Bob Long, who is credited with making the GPS calculations to find the miners, was the only one, other than the nine, to get in on the $150,000-apiece movie deal. That may have caused some hard feelings. And last month, Long killed himself.

Even a year later, people have not had enough of the story.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The nine trees are for the nine men.

FLOCK: They come to the rescue site by the tour bus full to take pictures and even gravel and grass clippings, until farmers Laurie (ph) and Bill Arnold (ph) started selling souvenirs. Their farm slogan, "We raise cattle" amended to, "We raised miners."

FOGLE: We had two lights that still worked.

FLOCK: Randy Fogle shows us extraordinary pictures of how it was down in the mine. That's what the rescue shaft looked like from the bottom.

FOGLE: You wanted to be able to see tomorrow and see your family. I mean, to come out of something like that and to live another day, that's all you need.

FLOCK: Fogle would just as soon put this all behind him, but he understands how people don't want to lose the memory of a miracle.

I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired July 24, 2003 - 15:25   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a year ago today, our attention was focused on Somerset County, Pennsylvania. That's where a mine had flooded, and nine miners were inside. For three days, our nation watched a frantic rescue operation.
Our Jeff Flock recently returned to the hometown of the men now known as the miracle miners.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, he's a classic miner. That face is classic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at that smile.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLOCK (voice-over): John Unger, then and now.

(on camera): Would you rather be a farmer or a miner?

JOHN UNGER, MINER: I would like to be a farmer, but the miners pay the bills.

FLOCK (voice-over): Randy Fogle shows us extraordinary pictures from the bottom of the mine. That's the rescue shaft. He's gone back to work right where it all happened.

RANDY FOGLE, MINER: I don't feel that anybody was at fault, really.

FLOCK: He's in the minority. Six have sued, claiming negligence led to the near-disaster. Their lawyer tells us they can't work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Post-traumatic stress. It's shell-shock, whatever name you want to give it.

FLOCK: They're not alone. A criminal investigation continues. And this man, Bob Long, who is credited with making the GPS calculations to find the miners, was the only one, other than the nine, to get in on the $150,000-apiece movie deal. That may have caused some hard feelings. And last month, Long killed himself.

Even a year later, people have not had enough of the story.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The nine trees are for the nine men.

FLOCK: They come to the rescue site by the tour bus full to take pictures and even gravel and grass clippings, until farmers Laurie (ph) and Bill Arnold (ph) started selling souvenirs. Their farm slogan, "We raise cattle" amended to, "We raised miners."

FOGLE: We had two lights that still worked.

FLOCK: Randy Fogle shows us extraordinary pictures of how it was down in the mine. That's what the rescue shaft looked like from the bottom.

FOGLE: You wanted to be able to see tomorrow and see your family. I mean, to come out of something like that and to live another day, that's all you need.

FLOCK: Fogle would just as soon put this all behind him, but he understands how people don't want to lose the memory of a miracle.

I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com