SWISS, W.Va. — Gov. Patrick Morrisey says Steve Lipscomb, the miner who was found dead at the Rolling Thunder Mine Thursday, was among the best West Virginia had to offer.
Lipscomb, 42, of Elkview, was killed as a result of the mine flooding over the weekend. Lipscomb was a foreman, and according to Morrisey, he ensured his colleagues got out of the mine safely.
“As I started to learn more information, I knew that Steven was doing some pretty incredible things. Trying to make sure, as the foreman, that he’s getting his people out,” Morrisey said to reporters Thursday evening outside the Rolling Thunder Mine facility.
Lipscomb, a 2001 graduate of Herbert Hoover High School, served his country as a Marine. He was also a Purple Heart recipient.
“Steven is the quintessential West Virginian. First serving our nation in the Marine Corp, and then by all accounts and listening to the people that were there, he really seemed like he wanted to do everything to save the lives of the other miners. That’s a true West Virginian,” Morrisey said.
In the four days of searching for Lipscomb after the Saturday flooding, crews pumped millions of gallons of water out of the mine. Morrisey reported earlier in the week that about 6,000 gallons of water was being pumped out per minute.
Multiple dive teams went into the mine throughout the week. Lipscomb’s body was found Thursday morning once the water levels receded.
Morrisey says they don’t have a report yet, but a lot of water burst into the mine in a short amount of time.
“We don’t know the full story yet in terms of the sweep of the water that came in, but based upon the reports, tens of millions of water came in. You can use your imagination to know how horrible and how horrific that is,” he said.
Morrisey told reporters that Lipscomb’s body has been sent off for examination.
“The body was taken to the medical examiner, so we’re not going to speculate as to all the things. We’re going to let them do their job and then as we have more information next week, we’ll relay that to you,” Morrisey said.
“We’re now going to move to a new phase of this, and I want to make sure that we’re appropriately honoring Steven and his family,” he continued.