Wellmore Coal Company Wins Virginia Mine Rescue Championship
June 10, 2021 - The Wellmore Coal Company mine rescue team was crowned champion of the 2021 Virginia Governor’s Cup Mine Rescue Competition.
The annual competition, which took place at the UVA Wise football stadium, involved a staged mine disaster scenario. Team members wore full mine rescue gear and were tasked with determining underground mine conditions, constructing ventilation controls, and locating and extracting victims.
Teams were judged on their thoroughness in recording mine conditions as they navigated the mine and their ability to identify and respond to hazards.
Individual coal miners also participated in competitions where they were judged on their ability to effectively do pre-shift safety checks, which involve identifying and ridding mines of any problems.
Virginia Governor’s Cup and 1st Place: Wellmore Coal Company
2ndPlace Team: Alden Resources
Pre-Shift: Frankie Moore, Contura Energy
2nd Place: Todd Ward, Wellmore Coal Company
Virginia Governor’s Cup Teams: Wellmore Coal Company, Metinvest Pocahontas, Paramont Contura, Virginia Small Operators Mine Rescue and Alden Resources.