1200— At the beginning of the noon shift, 10 personnel descend the cage to Level 7. Above ground, 8 additional personnel are preparing to descend in the cage.
1210— A second crew of 4 miners descends to Level 2, and another 4 miners descend to Level 3 to begine work; seven (7) miners remain at the surface, preparing to descend.
Meanwhile, two separate loads of dynamite with novel radio-controlled blasting caps descend via the skip and cage intended for miners at Level 7. With both the cage and skip located somewhere above Level 6, an explosion occurs.
1211— The twin radio-triggered explosions of dynamite set off simultaneous, cataclysmic collapses and cave-ins at both ends of Levels 6 and 7. The skip is wrecked just below Level 7, causing an obstruction of heavy rock debris; the same thing occurs at the other end of the stope, where the cage is wrecked. 10 miners are trapped within the Level 7 stope. At one end, both the skip and air shafts are obstructed due to the wrecked skip and heavy rock debris. At the other end of the Level 7 stope, the cage explosion has caued a massive cave-in of hundreds of tons of overburden.
With the loss of power to the primary water pump at the bottom of the mine sump, cold groundwater quickly begins to rise within the lower levels of the mine, threatening the trapped miners within Level 7.
1300— Owens Valley authorities contact UC Santa Barbara CSEP for off-site technical assistance. They inform the UCSB technical team that additional personnel and equipment will arrive at the Lode Star Mine at approximately 1445 and will require a detailed rescue plan. Time is rapidly running out for the miners!
NOTE: The field phone inside Level 7 was found to be operating as of 1500 this afternoon. Surface personnel and rescuers are still able to communicate with the trapped miners below. Expect periodic updates and altering circumstances!
SPECIAL NOTE: The blocked adit at the end of the sump stope was sealed over twenty years ago to prevent highly contaminated water from entering Pine River. Since an EPA-mandated processing facility was built on site, contaminated water has been periodically processed at the surface to remove arsenic and cyanide. If any of the mine's sump water reaches Pine River it will destroy all fish and riparian wildlife in the river; the contaminated water will also contaminate the only available water supply of the downstream community of Pine Valley (population 250). Experts estimate that a river and groundwater cleanup will coast hundreds of millions of dollars.