Published January 13, 2015
Quotes from the rescue of nine miners trapped below ground for three days near Somerset, Pa.
"He said he'll never go underground again." — Tonya Butler, daughter of trapped miner Thomas Foy.
"I didn't think I was going to see my wife and kids again." — miner Blaine Mayhugh.
"If you were to meet any of these guys on the street right now, you would not know that they were trapped in a cavern full of water for three days." — Dr. Russell Dumire of Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center.
"At one point the water was up to their nose — and rising." — Gov. Mark Schweiker.
"Let me just say I'm sure glad we didn't have to work today." — Somerset County Coroner Wallace Miller.
"Hallelujah. Amen. Thank God. Thank God." — Amy Louviere, of the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration, after the final miner was rescued.
"I know what they were doing. I've been there. They were praying." — former miner Harold Ankeny.
"What took you guys so long?" — The trapped miners, speaking to rescuers for the first time, according to a rescuer.
"There's nine men ready to get the hell out of here. We need some chew." — The trapped miners, after a phone was lowered, according to Ron Svonavec, a rescue worker at the scene.
"They're all down there. They're waiting to come up. There's nine of them. We talked to them on the telephone." — a mud-caked rescue worker shouted up from the pit near where they dropped the communication device.
"All nine are alive. ... And we believe that all nine are in pretty good shape." — Schweiker, at 11:35 p.m. Saturday.
"Wow. Wow. Wow. It's just unbelievable. I have no words." — mine worker Lou Lepley.
"They knew what was coming. We didn't. They are the heroes. If not for them, there'd be dead bodies." — mine worker Doug Custer, who escaped Wednesday after the trapped miners radioed to them: "The water's on the way. Get out."
https://www.foxnews.com/story/mine-rescue-notable-quotations