Brookwood community remembers 13 miners killed in 2001 explosion

Families, former miners, and community members gathered Wednesday to honor the 13 lives lost in the 2001 explosion at Jim Walter Resources’ No. 5 mine. The men killed were Gaston Adams Jr., Raymond Ashworth, Nelson Banks, David Blevins, Clarence “Bit” Boyd, Wendell Johnson, John Knox, Dennis Mobley, Charles Nail, Joe Riggs, Charles Smith, Joe Sorah and Terry Stewart. “There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think about them,” said Stuart Sexton, a belt crew employee. “They’re all great guys. Super great guys.” The No. 5 mine was once considered one of the deepest underground coal mines in North America, stretching for miles beneath the Brookwood community. On Sept. 23, 2001, a cave-in released methane gas underground, causing two explosions at the mine. Thomas Wilson, who was a United Mine Workers of America International Representative at the time of the disaster, said miners were trying to rescue a worker who was down as methane accumulated. “The explosion caught them all,” Wilson said. Wilson said the disaster changed the way mine emergencies are handled, including required communications and the authority structure for making decisions about advancing into a disaster area. For the families left behind, the annual memorial is also an opportunity to hear more about the men they lost.

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