All Nine Alive

Nine Alive is the story of nine Somerset County miners who showed unwavering courage and strength, waiting nearly four days for rescue while 244 feet underground. It is the story of several hundred dedicated and tireless rescue personnel who refused to quit until all nine were safely above ground once again, overcoming fatigue, equipment failure and despair.

For five days in July 2002, the world's attention was focused on the fate of nine coal miners trapped 245 feet underground in western Pennsylvania, not 13 miles from the horrific end of September 11's Flight 93. Seven hours into their afternoon shift, a machine they were operating suddenly broke through a wall, unleashing a torrent of water from an adjacent abandoned mine. With the miners out of sight and the aboveground heroics largely shielded from view, the drama that captured the public imagination was far from complete. Their desperate struggle to survive as the water continued its inexorable rise was played out in cramped darkness. The final, heart-stopping moments provided the storybook ending, but the real story was yet to be told--until now. The miners are home, the rescuers are back at their day jobs, investigations have begun, and, as the story inside All Nine Alive reveals, what really happened in those desperate hours was more breaktaking than we knew.

It was a day that started out just like any other at the Quecreek mine, but none of the men working the 3 to 11 p.m. shift that Wednesday could ever have prepared for what was about to happen to them. Nine Alive is the story of nine Somerset County miners who showed unwavering courage and strength, waiting nearly four days for rescue while 244 feet underground. It is also the story of several hundred dedicated and tireless rescue personnel who refused to quit until all nine were safely above ground once again, overcoming fatigue, equipment failure and despair along the way. The Associated Press' full-color photography and up-to-the-minute news coverage reveals the ultimate story of bravery and hope that had all the world holding its breath and praying for a miracle.

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