Pike River re-entry manager to be first inside since deadly explosion nearly nine years ago
Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Pike River Recovery Agency chief operating officer Dinghy Pattinson will lead the first three-person team into mine drift on May 3.
Further details of plans to access the West Coast mine, where 29 men died in a series of explosions on November 19, 2010, were released on Wednesday.
Pattinson confirmed he would be one of three miners going in May 3.
The fifth-generation West Coast miner has been a NZ Mines Rescue Service member for more than 30, and was part of the team that 2011 left a note on the seal 170m up the mine access tunnel, promising the men they would return to get them out. His great grandfather John William Pattinson was only 36 when he was killed in 1896 in the Brunner Mine disaster.
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The Government gave re-entry plans the all-clear in November. Minister Andrew Little said at the time a number of dangers still remained, but extensive advice had shown re-entry to the drift using the existing access tunnel of the mine would be 'by far the safest option'.
Crews will cut a concrete seal beyond the portal in the days leading up to re-entry. On May 3, they will enter the drift through a door in the 30m seal. They will ventilate the mine up to 180m, clearing pockets of methane and checking roof structures as they progress.
Pattinson said he was happy with how preparations were progressing. Equipment had arrived from Australia, including a drift runner, loader and drill rig, which will be used for roof support.
How far the team could go each day will be determined by ventilation.
The mine is now filled with nitrogen, which is being fed into the mine through pipes from a nitrogen plant on site. Fresh air will be brought into the drift from the portal through to about 180m.
'We've done a trial of that so we know we can do that. The trial went really well we did that last week,' he said.
Air testing would continue throughout the process.
The note left in 2011 is in the back of Pattinson's thoughts.
'You go back eight years and we left a note to say we would return, and this is the first part of that journey really. But all our thoughts at the moment is making sure our plans are correct and we've got all the safety aspects covered off,' he said.
In January, police said they would not send staff in with the first Pike River mine re-entry team following a risk assessment.
Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Collins said on Wednesday police were setting up a control room at the Pike River office block. A disaster victim identification team will be on site also.
Miners would be equip with six safety-approved LED lights and an approved tablet to take photographs inside, he said.
They would map any exhibits before removing them and handing them over to police.
Police decided in 2013 to leave the criminal investigation open until the scene could be examined.
Any new evidence they found would be used to determine whether charges could be laid.
Collins said exhibits would documented in their position, sealed and boxed up, before being handed to police to take custody of.