Mine search locates body
THE body of a man, believed to be that of Brett Michael Kelly, has been pulled from the ore pass where the Mount Isa miner went missing last month.
Mount Isa police inspector Trevor Kidd said search crews had individually removed and searched 8000 tonnes of ore by the bucketload when they located the body in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Insp Kidd said he had personally informed the missing Mount Isa local’s family, who were appreciative of the work that had gone into the recovery operation.
“The fact that we have an outcome for the family, the workers, the community and everyone involved, it has a positive impact as far as that goes,” Insp Kidd said.
“It’s the unknown – that’s a terrible thing when you don’t
The fact that we have an outcome for the family ... it
has a positive impact as far as that goes INSP TREVOR KIDD
know. If we never found any evidence, there would always be that question.
“They searched 8000 tonnes by individually removing it bucketload by bucketload. It’s a lot of hard work by a group of very professional people.”
Tasked with finding Mr Kelly’s body in an ore pass more than a kilometre deep and containing 100,000 tonnes of ore, teams have worked in shifts 24 hours a day since the recovery operation resumed more than a week ago.
Insp Kidd said it was dangerous environment.
Mr Kelly went missing at Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines underground copper mine about 11am on June 18, in the vicinity of the ore pass.
Machines crushing the ore were stopped when Mr Kelly was reported missing at 3.30pm.
Yesterday, North Queensland Copper Operations chief operating officer Mike Westerman said support services were available to mine employees and their families.
“I have been deeply saddened by this tragic situation and my thoughts remain with Brett’s family, friends and colleagues,’’ he said.
A Department of Natural Resources and Mines spokesman said an investigation was continuing into the circumstances of Mr Kelly’s death and a report would be submitted to the Coroner.
It would then be up to the Coroner to determine a cause of death, and whether an inquest should be held.
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