Baumblog EST 1968 - A blog for the Baumbachs who originated in Syracuse, NY

It sounds like officials have given up hope of finding the trapped Utah miners. One the one hand, it seems too dangerous to allow more miners to risk their lives in the rescue/recovery attempt, but if it were my relative I don't think I'd be willing to just give up. Is it better to let the mine be their final resting place? I'm curious about what you guys think should be done.

GJ said about 8 hours later

I've been saying they should call it off before the last accident that claimed the life of the three volunteers. Now that the mine has been shown to be just as unsafe as the day the first collapse happened, it's time to think in terms of "will we ever recover their bodies" rather than "how can we save them." Besides, it's going on two weeks--that's a lot of time to be trapped, likely injured, with water and oxygen levels of questionable amounts, in low temperatures to survive in. It's just not worth the cost of the living to try to save people that may never have survived in the first place, and are all but certainly dead by now anyhow.
Marc said about 11 hours later

On one hand, I'd agree with GJ, because the facts seems to point to a very unlikely case of them being rescued. On the other hand, if I were a family member, I'd be helping the rescue. There has been cases where they have found the miners within the two week range.

However, I don't know much about the other cases, does anyone know if they found evidence of them being alive before actually recovering the people?
Kristen said about 19 hours later

In my mind I think that it's definitely a recovery thing--but I think mine officials owe it to these families to keep searching for the miners' bodies. They were using questionable methods anyway, so now they have to pay the price. Find the safest way possible, take their time and use their heads...
Steve said about 20 hours later

I think they should continue, but they need to be much more careful than they apparently were being when they had another collapse killing three rescue workers.

Now, how would you feel if you were a miner trapped, were miraculously rescued, only to learn that 3 other people died trying to save you? That would also be very hard to live with.
GJ said 2 days later

Being trapped for two weeks, I'd be dead by now. ;)