CAMERON, W.Va. — A veteran West Virginia coal miner was killed Friday at Consol Energy’s McElroy mine in Marshall County.
The victim was identified as Roger R. King, 62, of Moundsville. A senior longwall maintenance coordinator at the mine, King was an employee of Consol since 1969 when he started at the company’s Ireland mine. He had worked at McElroy for the past 17 years.
State mine safety officials said King suffered a head injury just before 2 p.m Friday. He died enroute to the hospital.
Investigators from the State Office of Miner’s Health, Safety, and Training along with federal investigators from Mine Safety and Health Administration were investigating the accident. During the investigation, operations at the McElroy mine have ceased. Consol said the mine will restart operations Saturday at midnight.
Consol issued a statement on the accident:
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with Mr. King’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. McElroy mine operations have ceased temporarily and will resume beginning 12:01 a.m. Sunday. Consol Energy is working closely with state and federal mine safety officials to determine the cause of the incident. Safety remains at the core of everything we do at Consol Energy. It is our priority to prevent events like this one from ever happening and we continue to strive for a workplace experience of zero accidents.”