ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Federal officials confirmed Friday a miner died in a tragic accident at a quarry in St. Lucie County earlier this week.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration posted on Twitter that a miner died at the Vulcan Materials Company quarry, located in the 14000 block of Range Line Road, when the bank of a pond broke away, causing the excavator he was in to become submerged in the water.
On March 15, 2023, a miner died after the bank of a pond broke away, causing the excavator that he was operating to enter the water & become submerged. We have begun an investigation. For more info please visit: https://t.co/lV6ov9qmhF
— MSHA_DOL (@MSHA_DOL) March 17, 2023
The incident happened Wednesday at 1:15 p.m.
According to a close friend, the miner was a 42-year-old father of two.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor, which oversees the Mine Safety and Health Administration, released the following statement to WPTV on Friday:
"The Mine Safety and Health Administration is conducting an ongoing investigation. MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares a fatality alert, a preliminary investigation, and a final report."
Vulcan Materials Company released a statement about the tragedy on Thursday:
"There was an incident that occurred yesterday at our Fort Pierce facility. Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends, family, and loved ones of our employees at this time. We are grateful for the efforts of first responders. Our team is on-site and will continue to work directly with the parties involved throughout their ongoing recovery efforts and investigation."
Vulcan Materials is the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates, such as crushed stone, sand, and gravel, according to the company's website.
