Hecla Rescue Operations Hit Snag

Mining Company community affairs representative Mike Dexter, left ,and CEO Phil Baker addresses a crowd of about 35 people at Mullan City Hall in Mullan to give updates on the trapped miner on Saturday. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)

Federal mine safety officials ordered the current rescue operation under way at the Lucky Friday mine suspended due to unstable ground conditions. Instead, rescue operations for a miner trapped in a cave-in Friday will commence from another part of the Mullan, Idaho mine, requiring 225 feet of digging. It’s unknown whether the miner, Larry “Pete” Marek, survived the rockfall, but if he did, he could be trapped behind the massive rock pile. There has been no communication with Marek since the incident on Friday evening/ Spokesman-Review .