Home / Disasters and Accidents / Quecreek Miner, 'Miner's Miracle' Hero, Dies at 68
Quecreek Miner, 'Miner's Miracle' Hero, Dies at 68
5 Jun
Summary
- Quecreek miner Randall Fogle, age 68, has passed away.
- Fogle was the foreman who kept miners calm during their rescue.
- The 2002 rescue of nine miners was hailed as the 'Miner's Miracle'.
Retired coal miner Randall Fogle, a member of the famed Quecreek Nine, died on Wednesday at the age of 68. Fogle was the foreman of the crew trapped underground in Somerset County in July 2002. The group of nine miners endured over three days trapped after an abandoned, flooded mine inundated their active workspace.
Fogle was widely credited for maintaining composure among his fellow miners during the perilous 77 hours. The nation watched as a specialized drill created an escape shaft, and a rescue capsule descended 240 feet to bring them to safety. This event was celebrated as the 'Miner's Miracle,' inspiring a TV movie and a museum.
Fogle returned to coal mining in 2003, a year after the life-altering incident. He is remembered by his family as an avid outdoorsman. He is the second of the nine Quecreek miners to have died, following Dennis Hall in 2022.
