Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
25 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
26 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
27 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
28 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Pennsylvania Somerset Quecreek Mine Rescue Site

Quecreek Mine Rescue Site

The site where nine miners were trapped underground for over 77 hours in 2002.

Somerset, Pennsylvania

Added By
MonValleyMan
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Tyrol5 / CC BY-SA 3.0
  Tyrol5 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Rescue airlock   Tyrol5 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Backup rescue shaft   Tyrol5 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On July 24, 2002, coal miners at the Quecreek Mine in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, inadvertently breached an abandoned mine. When the miners broke through to the older mine, it started a flood of an estimated 75 million gallons of water.

The flooded mine void of the Saxman Mine was at a higher elevation than the active Quecreek Mine. Originally opened as Quecreek No. 2 mine in 1913, it was purchased by Saxman Coal and Coke Company in 1925 and operated until 1963. The mine's presence was poorly documented, so nearly 40 years later miners working nearby did not realize how close they were to danger.

The abandoned mine was located higher up on a slope than the Quecreek mine where 18 coal miners were working on July 24. Around 9 p.m., the miners found themselves 240 feet underground and in peril as the flooded mine was breached. As the face breakthrough flooded the entry, they used the mine's phone system to notify those working in a nearby area. Nine of them managed to exit the mine around 9:45 p.m. But the flooding had progressed too quickly for the miners in the first panel area to evacuate. Despite two attempts to reach a shaft leading to the surface, the four-foot-high tunnels, spanning over 3,000 feet (910 m), were also flooded. 

By 10:30 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police were stationed at the Quecreek mine site. Authorities were searching for a drill capable of boring a hole large enough to rescue the nine trapped miners. Luckily they didn't have to look far—there was a suitable drill just a few hours away in Clarksburg, West Virginia. It was sent to Quecreek Mine with a police escort.

At 12:30 a.m. on July 28, a steel mesh escape capsule, with supplies, descended into Rescue Hole No. 1, reaching the void where the miners had been stranded for 77 hours. Foreman Randy Fogle was selected for the initial rescue due to recurring chest pains. He emerged on the surface around 1 a.m. By 2:45 a.m., all nine were safely on the surface. 

During their final exits, the miners were immersed in cold water. None of them experienced decompression sickness, but their extremities appeared purple and mottled from immersion. All of the men made full recoveries, though at least one vowed never to mine again.

A memorial park was created at the field where the drilling rescue operations took place. Visitors can walk right up to the rescue shaft and see a seven-foot-tall bronze statue of a coal miner.

Related Tags

Floods Rescues Mining Mines

Community Contributors

Added By

MonValleyMan

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

December 19, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Quecreek Mine Rescue Site
151 Haupt Rd
Somerset, Pennsylvania, 15501
United States
40.077806, -79.08605
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Statue of Jackson the Elephant

Somerset, Pennsylvania

miles away

Jenny Globe

Somerset, Pennsylvania

miles away

Grand Midway Hotel

Windber, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Somerset

Somerset

Pennsylvania

Places 3

Nearby Places

Statue of Jackson the Elephant

Somerset, Pennsylvania

miles away

Jenny Globe

Somerset, Pennsylvania

miles away

Grand Midway Hotel

Windber, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Somerset

Somerset

Pennsylvania

Places 3

Related Places

  • Lichterfeld-Schacksdorf, Germany

    Overburden Conveyer Bridge F60

    One of the largest vehicles ever built is now open to the public.

  • The entrance to the now defunct Hexing Coal Mine.

    Taipei, Taiwan

    Hexing Coal Mine

    A glimpse into Taiwan's coal-mining past.

  • Aerial view easterly over the mine site. The main pit is just right of center.  The freeway is Interstate-15.

    Mountain Pass, California

    Mountain Pass Mine

    The only mine for rare earth elements in the United States has been intermittently active since the 1950s.

  • Pocahontas, Virginia

    Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine

    A literal in-depth look at one of the United States' most cherished coal mines and the questionable working conditions of its laborers

  • Bamboo Creek Tin Mine

    Litchfield Park, Australia

    Bamboo Creek Tin Mine

    This site contains preserved ruins and industrial remnants of Western Australia's mining heritage.

  • Decrepit shed.

    Denio Junction, Nevada

    Homer Verne (Adams) Mine

    An isolated early 20th-century gold mine in the remote Pine Forest Range contains much preserved equipment.

  • Red Dog Sculpture

    Paraburdoo, Australia

    Red Dog Sculpture

    This bronze memorial pays tribute to a local dog.

  • Homestake Mine

    Lead, South Dakota

    Homestake Open Cut

    Before its closure in 2002, this South Dakota mine was the largest and deepest gold mine in Western Hemisphere.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.