Stuart Gilbert Mudge. Photo / Supplied
Working for Pike River is a "dream come true" for Stuart Mudge.
Stuart's father Stephen Rose said his 31-year-old son was "fit, very strong and very healthy" and that working in the mine gave him mateship and "an outlet for his energy".
Mr Rose said mining was not about the
money for his "tough and resourceful" son. Stuart loved the industry, he said, both the physical, hard work and the "common bond" he found with other miners.
"When the explosion happened Stuart was probably driving a very valuable piece of machinery. Working with that machinery and those guys is the pinnacle of his working career," Mr Rose said.
Born in Whangarei, Stuart Mudge moved with his family to the West Coast around five years ago, where they were welcomed into the local community.
"Stu and ourselves arrived and the people just welcomed us, we never once were put to task for not being born here," Stephen Rose said.
And Mr Rose said his son enjoyed life on the Coast, and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.
[Stu] enjoyed being a West Coaster" Mr Rose said.
"To be a West Coaster, it's in your heart," he said. "Stu's a quintessential West coaster."
Mr Rose said his son's "first concern is other people" and if Stuart was not injured he would be helping his colleagues trapped in the mine.
Stuart Mudge has a five-year-old daughter who will be "immensely proud" of her father, the type of man he is and the things he stands for, Mr Rose said.
