Saturday marks 15 years since Sago Mine disaster
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Sago Mine
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Saturday marks the 15th anniversary of the Sago Mine disaster, in which 12 coal miners died.
Randal McCloy, Jr. and his wife, Anna from a 2015 photo.
A U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration report determined lightning striking an abandoned cable as the likely cause of the blast.
A rescue crew reached the group nearly two days later, but 11 of the men had died from carbon monoxide asphyxiation. A miscommunication led to inaccurate reports that all 12 miners trapped underground were found alive.
Rescuers pulled Randal McCloy Jr. out of the mine on Jan. 4. McCoy spent weeks in a coma and received treatment for severe brain injuries.