No Sign of Utah Miners From Second Drilling

Officials say the miners could potentially hold out for weeks in an underground chamber, providing they survived the initial collapse.

Image courtesy: Crandall Canyon Mine

(HUNTINGTON, Utah) - Media sources are reporting that a second hole drilled in the area where six miners remain missing in Utah yielded no sign of the missing men.

The men have been trapped since Monday in the Crandall Canyon Mine near Huntington, Utah. Rescue crews were hoping that they would have heard or seen a sign of the missing men by now.

They planned to place a camera down the hole to see some sign of the trapped men, but water flowing through the hole is making the job difficult, preventing them from getting the camera into a place where they can use it.

But rescuers say they remain hopeful that the camera will eventually be in place, even as soon as tonight.

A drill was sank over 1,800 feet Thursday in an area where officials initially thought they would find the men, but there was no sign of them. They also used a two-way microphone hoping to raise communications with the trapped workers.

Then came the news that the first drill had "drifted" about 26 metres from its target. Rescuers say their next plan is to insert a lining into the new drill hole. They say this process will take hours but it would protect a camera the device to capture and send back good images, officials said.

Richard Stickler is the US Mine Safety and Health Administration chief. He says there is drinkable water and a "survivable space" where the second drill has pierced the mine ceiling. 4 to 5 days will be required to

Officials say the miners could potentially hold out for weeks in an underground chamber, providing they survived the initial collapse.