The great escape....

[talentedbutslow]

All of Australia is celebrating today due to the release of 2 miners trapped in a cage for 14 days. The action took place at the Beaconsfield gold mine near to Launceston in Tasmania....after an earthquake on Anzac Day...25th April triggered a rock fall 1 klm underground....killing one of their mates and trapping the 2 miners in the cage.The dedicated team of rescue workers worked tirelessly under great difficulty and with many setbacks to free their mates aided by a wonderful team of paramedics who risked their lifes too to buoy up the spirits of the men..finally...they broke through a new tunnel to retrieve the men and bring them to the surface...their first sight of daylight for 14 days....remarkably they walked from the lift to greet their loved ones and the whole town population of the town that had turned out to welcome them...shrugging off the stretchers waiting for them...looking fitter than most people in the crowd.....We thank God for their freedom......

Tal

[Alan Gilmartin]

I Live 15 minutes drive from Beaconsfield, My two boys went to Beaconsfield primary school, I dont need to go over what happened, as TBS told the story. Now the two miners and their families are going for the highest bidder (TV stations ) to sell their story, all this was being done while they were still being rescued, one of the miners said he wants Russell Crow to star in the movie. Ok Im a cinic. Saw the funeral for Larry Knight, in Launceston, yesterday, I usually park outside St Johns church, where it was held, there must have been about 500 bikies there to give him a good send off. Got to hand it to the two miners, they discharged themselves from hospital to attened the funeral. The thing is 4 teenage girls were incinerated in their car here last week and it hardly got a mention.

[garinda]

It is an amazingly happy ending.

They must have gone through such torment wondering if they would be rescued in time.

A happy news story for a change.

[talentedbutslow]

Heard tell that Oprah Winfrey is offering mega bucks for their exclusive story..these guys are going to be swimming in money soon....

[garinda]

Originally Posted by talentedbutslow

Heard tell that Oprah Winfrey is offering mega bucks for their exclusive story..these guys are going to be swimming in money soon....

Good luck to 'em.

I'd rather they get some money for what they went through, rather than some silly tart who has shagged a politician getting a fortune for her 'exclusive' story.

[SPUGGIE J]

Originally Posted by talentedbutslow

Heard tell that Oprah Winfrey is offering mega bucks for their exclusive story..these guys are going to be swimming in money soon....

Are they staying at the ste or moving on tal?

[talentedbutslow]

Don,t think they.ll ever go down a mine again.........don,t blame em.....

[talentedbutslow]

The latest "offer" is $3 million Aussie dollars..........now....where do I sign up for a job in the mine.......

[Alan Gilmartin]

They are closing the mine, pending an investigation, might not open again, 130 employees, All get one months pay. This story dwarfed the 10th aniversery of the Port Arthur massacre. The CLub Hotel in Beaconsfield has made more money in the past couple of weeks, than in the last ten years, its been for sale for quiet a while, there was never anybody in there when I went past. The other pub the Exchange Hotel closed down a while ago.

[Alan Gilmartin]

for up to date news. www.abc.au/northtas/ or www.examiner.com.au

[talentedbutslow]

Thanks for the info and the links,Alan.....we have more in common than being Aussies...my name is Alan too.....

[Alan Gilmartin]

No problems mate, sorry to be such a cinic, but this thing is getting out of hand down here, cant turn a radio or TV on without it being in your face, they broadcast the footy show ( Aussie Rules ) from Beaconsfield Civic Centre, last night, it usually comes from Melbourne, I thought there was a brighter glow than usual, in the direction of beaconsfield last night must have been all the floodlights, other times its been the bushfires. Beaky has never seen the likes of this & never will again. Tasmania was always refered to as Australia's best kept secret.Well as they say, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

[talentedbutslow]

Striking it rich

18may06

THREE miners were victims of the Beaconsfield mine collapse.

Two of them, Brant Webb and Todd Russell, were rescued after a two-week ordeal.
They have now sold their story to Channel 9 for between $2.5 million to $3 million.
But the third miner, Larry Knight, can't tell his story for money because the rock fall killed him.
He left a widow, Jacqui, and three children: Thomas, 9 months, Addison, 10, and Lauren 19.
So far there has been no clear indication of whether Ms Knight will share in the good fortune of her dead husband's mates.
Mr Webb and Mr Russell have said they will channel some of the money from media deals into a foundation for the Beaconsfield community.
Given the risks taken to save them they could do no less. But Channel 9 also has a moral responsibility to ensure that Ms Knight and the children benefit from what is believed to be one of Australia's biggest exercises in cheque-book journalism.

[SPUGGIE J]

I hope that the people involved on all sides make sure Larry Knights family are cared for as a matter of course. Its sad that the death of people often leads to unhappiness and profiteering. Not cannining the survivers but they still have a life and family which is more than Larry's famil.

[Alan Gilmartin]

I dont have much time on my hands at the moment, but maybe TBS, might be able to, inform you of the terible things that are and have been going on in the Northern Territtory at the moment, of 4 months old babies, young girls, young boys beng raped, said they havent slept with both eyes closed for years. Beaconsfield was a farce compared to this. Some people would say they are only Aboriginals so who cares, the Federal Gov dosent seem to think Its that important, if it was happening, to whites on this scale, well:;