Police identify further human remains inside Pike River mine

Wednesday, 9 March 2022

Dean Dunbar is asking police to let the victims’ families see the evidence of human remains. (video first published in March 2022)

The discovery of further human remains in the final underground images taken from the Pike River mine is emotional, but helps bring some closure, some Pike River families say.

Police informed relatives of the 29 victims of the disaster on Tuesday that imaging work from the redrilling of a borehole had captured evidence of further human remains.

Detective Superintendent Peter Read said the images had been reviewed by pathologists who confirmed two sets of remains.

He said one of these was imaged, identified as human remains, and notified to the families in early 2011.

* Human remains, destruction seen on 'crystal clear' images from Pike River boreholes

* Families not surprised by discovery of remains in Pike River Mine as police inquiry continues

Allan John Dixon, 59, was one of 29 men killed at Pike River

The second set of remains – and the original ones – have now been confirmed from the fresh imagery, taking the number of sets of remains identified to eight.

Read said the images were taken in the roadway leading to an area known as the goaf, where it is believed three men were working before the first explosion.

According to the Royal Commission held after the disaster, three men – Keith Valli, Peter O’Neill and Allan Dixon– were in that area when the mine exploded at 3.45pm on November 19, 2010.

Allan Dixon's brother Gordon said the news was tough for the family.

“We are feeling pretty gutted that now they have sealed the mine they are now coming out with images of bodies.

“They should have kept the mine open until all the boreholes were done in case they could get in and get the bodies out. But money has dictated once again,” he said.

The Government decided last year to seal the mine despite the police investigation remaining open, saying it was too dangerous and too expensive to re-enter the mine workings.

This map depicts the last known position of the 29 men who died and two who survived in the Pike River Mine disaster.

His elderly mother Nan had been hit hard with the news, he said.

“It's quite upsetting for her to hear that today. It's her husband's anniversary of the day he died, so it comes as a double whammy for her,” he said.

O'Neill, 55, Valli, 62 and Dixon, 59, were a crew involved in hydro mining, which extracts coal using high a volume of water under high pressure, leaving behind a goaf, or void.

The Pike River Recovery Agency reached the roof fall 2.26km up the drift access tunnel.

The commission found a methane gas outburst caused by a potential collapse of the goaf was a possible cause of the explosion.

The ignition source of the explosion has never been confirmed, but police have drilled a borehole into the area containing the main ventilation fan – which the commission said should never have been placed underground – to investigate whether it was the source.

The police have drilled 10 boreholes since June in a bid to find evidence to help the criminal investigation that was reopened when the Government’s Pike River Recovery Agency re-entered the mine’s access tunnel or drift.

“The discovery of these remains means that eight sets of human remains have now been captured in imaging taken during borehole drilling,” Read said.

“The search for answers over the last 11 years has been a long and painful journey for the families of the 29 men lost at the mine.

The Pike River re-entry workers mingle after the day shift emerge for lunch.

“While the discovery of these eight sets of remains is significant, I’m very aware that it still leaves many unanswered questions for the men’s loved ones, and my thoughts are with all of the families today.”

The borehole drilling operation is now complete, but work on the criminal investigation remains ongoing, he said.

“The drilling operation has provided police with valuable information to inform our investigation into the underground activity that led to the first explosion,” he said.

Pike River widow Anna Osborne said the find was not a surprise, but was still hard.

“We’ve known for a long time there was at least one of our men under borehole 47, but that doesn’t make coming back to it any easier,” she said.

“What is giving us some comfort is that now, as we get to the end of the project and the mine is sealed, we’re getting real answers about what had happened there. Just to see that our men fell where they stood and didn’t suffer for hours or more is so important,” she said.

Sonya Rockhouse, whose son Ben was killed, said the project had helped her find closure.

“It’s strange to think that these are the last images that will come out of the mine, but I feel like we’ve achieved a lot. We’ve got so many answers and done as much as we can to get into the drift and then see into the mine.

“I feel like we have done right by Ben. I just hope now that we have done enough to get justice.”

Rowdy Durbridge, whose son Daniel Herk was killed at Pike River, says the discovery of the second remains helped him.

“It’s a small thing, but knowing the boys didn’t die alone in there is a comfort to me,” he said.

“This has taken a long time, but it’s never too late for justice. I reckon my boy – all the boys I worked with – would be proud of the work done by families and the agency and the police to help put this to rights. We’re thankful of that work.”

Michelle Wessing, acting chief executive of the Pike River Recovery Agency, said the agency is preparing to withdraw from the mine site by the end of the month, meaning its ongoing stewardship will be legally transferred to the Department of Conservation by no later than the end of April.

The agency itself is also winding down activities, and is on track to be closed by the end of June.