Pike families go underground

A woman whose husband died in the Pike River mine says she almost felt him there when she put her hands on the mine’s seal.

Anna Osborne was one of 26 relatives of the Pike River mine victims who entered the mine’s access tunnel yesterday.

Family members of the 29 men killed in the West Coast mine explosion on November 19, 2010, went 170 metres into the mine’s drift. It was the furthest anyone has been in since 2011.

Osborne, who lost husband Milton, said the experience was one she would never forget. ‘‘We were able to put our hands on the seal and I was able to talk to Milton and I almost felt him there,’’ she said. ‘‘It was the closest I have been to Milton in nine years.

‘‘I just said to him we haven’t forgotten. We are coming for you.

‘‘We won’t give up because they deserve so much better than what they have got.

‘‘We have fought hard for truth and justice and it is almost here. That is something we need to thank all of New Zealand for – without that support, our men and the evidence that could get them justice would have been locked away forever.’’

Osborne said she had previously been up to the 30m seal.

‘‘Going right up to the 170m seal is another milestone.’’

Sonya Rockhouse said it felt a long way in. She was accompanied by son Daniel who survived the blast and escaped, saving the life of Russell Smith.

‘‘We were always told it was too dangerous to go in and Daniel made the comment it just looks like it did the day he walked out.

‘‘It was an interesting feeling because I had Daniel there knowing that the last time he came out of that tunnel he thought he was going to die and at the same time on the other side of that bloody wall is my other son,’’ Sonya Rockhouse said.

Brian and Barbara Nieper, whose son Kane died in the mine, said it was an emotional day.

‘‘I was wondering where Kane is, how far away he is from there. It helped to be as close to him as we are going to get for a long time,’’ Barbara Nieper said.

‘‘You can’t have 29 miners lost and no-one being held to account. It is just not right.’’ Brian Nieper said he wanted his son’s body.

It was the last chance for families to enter the area before full recovery of the 2.3-kilometre tunnel begins. Plans for going beyond the 170m seal are being worked on by the Pike River Recovery Agency and Worksafe.