West Virginia Coal Miner Found Dead After Flood

A coal miner from West Virginia was found dead inside a flooded underground mine on Thursday, ending a five-day search effort that involved state and federal agencies pumping out millions of gallons of water.

Steven Lipscomb, 42, of Elkview, was discovered in the Rolling Thunder Mine in Nicholas County, about 50 miles east of Charleston. The incident occurred last Saturday when a crew working three-quarters of a mile into the mine struck an unmapped pocket of water, compromising an old wall from an abandoned mine that operated in the 1930s and 1940s. The influx flooded the section, trapping Lipscomb while he directed the other miners to safety. More than a dozen crew members were accounted for shortly after the accident was reported around 1:30 p.m.

Lipscomb, who had worked for mine operator Alpha Metallurgical Resources since 2006, was leading the group at the time. "His actions to ensure the safety of his crew members were heroic," said Andy Eidson, CEO of the Tennessee-based company, which operates 11 underground mines and four surface mines in West Virginia. Eidson extended sympathies to Lipscomb's wife and two children.

Rescue teams launched immediate operations, working in...