Sheppton Mine Rescue

On Aug. 27, 1963, rescuers used a new technique to drill a borehole that successfully freed two coal miners trapped for nearly two weeks by a shaft cave-in 320 feet below ground. One miner was lost, and the incident gained national attention and prompted more stringent safety regulations for small independent mines. The borehole technique has been widely used for mine rescues worldwide, notably at Quecreek (2002) and Chile (2010). (These photos are in no particular order.)