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Veteran mine rescuer tells what it takes

'God only knows who's alive down there,' he says

Crews worked overnight and through the day to rescue the trapped miners.

ELMORA, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- The business of coal mine rescues is a dangerous one, meant only for the healthy, brave and knowledgeable, according to the president of the National Mine Rescue Association, William Garay.

Garay, 72, who -- along with team mates -- has been performing mine rescues for about 30 years, has been called to consult in the rescue of nine trapped miners in at the Quecreek Mine about six miles north of Somerset, Pennsylvania.

Mining is not for the faint-hearted, he said.

"You have to know coal mining and the dangers involved," Garay said. "There are guidelines, you have to be in good health and you have to be brave. You can't take chances, but you have to be brave."

CNN NewsPass Video    •  CNN's Jeff Flock visits an abandoned Pa. mine   •  Surveyor used GPS to locate miners   •  Rescued miners go home   •  Miners express appreciation  MORE STORIES   •  Pennsylvania panel to explore mining accident   •  Flooded mine could be idle for months   •  Pa. governor: Mine's operator 'owes answers'   •  A turning point in the rescue effort   •  Miners braved harrowing conditions   •  Previous mining accidents were minor » Story archive  RESOURCES   •  Jeff Goodell: Despair turns to joy   •  Gov. Schweiker: Mine probe to seek answers   •  Rescued miner: 'It was a team effort'   •  Why we burn coal  EXTRA INFORMATION   •  Gallery: The rescued miners   •  Gallery: Rescue quotes   •  Graphic: Diagram of the Quecreek Mine   •  Map: Mining accident   •  Timeline: What happened, and when  Conditions in mine Cold: 56 degrees F Dark: Miners' cap lamps will have expired Wet: Water at an unknown level Cramped: Shaft is 237 feet underground; about 4 feet high and 12-18 feet wide

About 9 p.m. EDT Wednesday, the miners accidentally hit an older, abandoned mine filled with water, causing the area to collapse and flood, Pennsylvania State Trooper David Holtzman said.

Officials said the miners are crammed in an area inside Quecreek Mine about 3 feet high by 12 feet wide 237 feet beneath the surface.

Rescue workers plan to drill a hole into the surface above the miners about 3 feet in circumference to create an air bubble and pathway to get the men out. The drilling alone could take as long as 18 hours, local officials say. Garay said the men likely would be lifted out of the mine in large baskets suspended from ropes or chains.

"We know about where they are," Garay said. "They were probably at a higher elevation then the water was." That means their heads likely were above water, which still poses a hazard.

"You've got to realize that water is probably 50 or 60 degrees," Garay said. At that temperature, he said, it could threaten their health.

"When you're underground doing rescue work -- say there is a fire -- you have lifelines you hold onto," Garay said. "There is a captain that leads it. You are not allowed to be separated from each other because there is smoke and you can't see."

Miners trapped in a flooded mine instead of a burning mine is a relatively rare situation, Garay said. "This is the first one I've been involved with where miners were trapped," said Garay, who once drained an empty mine.

A mine rescue team usually consists of about 10 people, Garay said. The mining company likely will bring in a geologist to "look to see what strata is above the miners, whether it's sand, rock, shale or voids."

Mine maps are used to determine the location of the miners as accurately as possible, he said. "Legally, when there's an abandoned mine somewhere and they don't have an accurate map, they have to drill small holes ahead of the rescue team. If it holds, then they will drill holes big enough for the rescuers to crawl through."

That process probably will not be used at the Quecreek Mine because it is flooded. "We don't know whether some of the miners got washed away," Garay said. "Flooding underground creates a lot of pressure. God only knows who's alive down there."