Surviving US miner remains in coma

The lone survivor of a US coal mine explosion that killed 12 showed some encouraging signs overnight, but had not woken and was in a coma, doctors said today.

Randal McCloy was still struggling with the effects of the oxygen deprivation to his vital organs, including his brain, Dr Lawrence Roberts said on ABC’s Good Morning America. Only time will tell how much he recovers, he said.

Doctors said dialysis was performed to continue to filter his blood and his heart gained strength.

“We have seen some improvement in his cardiac function, some improvement in his pulmonary function,” Dr John Prescott said on CBS’ The Early Show, adding that his kidneys also were beginning to work.

McCloy, 26, was rescued early yesterday after being trapped in the Sago Mine near Tallmansville for more than 42 hours. Twelve other miners died. He remained in critical condition today at West Virginia University’s Ruby Memorial Hospital.

“A number of consultants have seen him that all feel that he has had a mild brain injury as a result of oxygen deprivation, and I think time will tell to what extent he recovers from this,” Roberts said.

Relatives called McCloy a quiet family man who would likely cringe at his status as the “miracle miner”. They said he did not like working in the mines, but stuck it out for three years because it enabled him to provide for his wife and two children, four-year-old Randal and one-year-old Isabel.

“I know he was fighting to stay alive for his family because his family was his number-one priority,” said Rick McGee, McCloy’s brother-in-law and a fellow miner who lives next door to McCloy in the small town.

He was the youngest of the 13 miners. Most of the others were in their 50s, and doctors said his youth and health may have helped him.

“When most people are drinking pop, he’s drinking milk and juice. He’s in good shape. That had to have helped him,” said McGee, who has known McCloy for 12 years.

McGee says McCloy likes to pass the time walking in the woods looking for deer.

“He is a typical guy, liked hunting, fishing, sports, fast cars,” McGee said.

Ben Hatfield, president and CEO of International Coal Group, which owns the mine, guessed that McCoy may have been deeper in a barricade area that he and 11 other miners created after the explosion early Monday, and therefore farther from toxic gases.

The 13th miner died in another location.

While McGee said he plans to return to mining as soon as he recovers from back surgery, McCloy likely will not.

“His wife said he’s not going back,” Green said. “And she rules.”

Anna McCloy, looking pale and exhausted, attended a news conference at the hospital yesterday, but did not answer questions.

“Just ask everybody to keep on praying,” she said.