On December 22, 2022, at approximately 12:00 p.m., Aidan Coon, a 21 year-old contract freeze treater with approximately two years of mining experience, was found unresponsive in his personal vehicle beside the mine office.
On December 22, 2022, MSHA was informed of a contractor’s death at Black Diamond Company’s Wellmore #8 Prep Plant in Big Rock, VA. MSHA’s initial findings indicated medical related issues as the cause of death. However, on March 31, 2023, MSHA received the death certificate and on April 12, 2023, MSHA received the autopsy report; both stated that the contractor died from carbon monoxide poisoning. After further investigation and review, MSHA has decided that this death should be charged to the mining industry.
The accident occurred because the mine operator and the contractor did not ensure the vehicle, used by the miner during his shift, was maintained in safe operating condition.
Additional Information
Click here for Final Report (pdf). No Preliminary Report or Fatal Alert was posted by MSHA. Classified as Other: CO2 Poisoning.