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CANBERRA - Almost a year after the Anzac Day collapse of Tasmania's Beaconsfield gold mine the tragedy of one miner's death and the intense global media focus on the survival of two others continues to exact a heavy toll.
Beyond the glitz of the millions of dollars paid
for their story and international stardom that continues to draw tourists and autograph hunters to the tiny town near Launceston, rescued miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell are still struggling to cope, mentally and physically.
Former mine manager Matthew Gill - the stoic public face of the disaster who recently quit the job - continues to suffer the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. So does rescue coordinator Patrick Ball.
And as the first anniversary of the Beaconsfield disaster nears, new details have emerged showing rescue workers ignored safety laws in the race to save Webb and Russell. They passed on sensitive information to mine inspectors gleaned through breaking laws by pretending they "dreamed" it up.
The lingering pain of the collapse of the mine almost 1km below the surface, the death of 44-year-old miner Larry Knight and the 14-night ordeal of Webb and Russell was revealed last night on the ABC TV programme Australian Story.
Rescue workers, who maintained a strict silence during the rescue and in its immediate aftermath, spoke publicly for the first time on the programme, joining Webb and Russell in a frank discussion of their difficulties in living with the collapse.
Their revelations came in the wake of the recent news that the mine will re-open.
But they also came as Tasmanian Director of Public Prosecutions Tim Ellis nears his decision whether or not to lay charges against the mine's owners under the state's Workplace Health and Safety Act.
A separate Government investigation has been extended until the end of next month.
Beaconsfield will not remember the disaster next week, following a decision by the West Tamar Council and the Returned Services League to delay its commemoration until the anniversary of the rescue on May 9, to avoid clashing with Anzac Day services.
Webb and Russell will celebrate the anniversary of their rescue with the release of a rock single recorded with Adelaide garage band Unitopia, called 321 Hours after the time they spent trapped underground in a crushed metal cage.
Russell cannot work at present, despite a knee operation in January, although he will soon start a rehabilitation programme allowing him to work several hours a day for two days a week. Webb now sells boats.
Russell went down the mine about a month after the collapse in a bid to seek closure. Webb has not been back. Neither will work underground again.
"I'm quite happy up at Port Sorrell Marine, selling quality boats and good prices," Webb told ABC radio's AM programme yesterday.
The nightmares and pain continue, with the added burden of fame.
"Mentally it's been very hard," Russell told AM. "Still suffering nightmares and lack of sleep.
"Physically, knee, backs, you know, just constant pain all the time.
"You know, our life is never going to be the same again. We're just going to be them two trapped miners that were underground.
"And for us, you know, if we could give it all back, we'd give it back today to have our normal lives back."
Webb said life remained difficult.
"Physically and mentally, you know, it's a two-way street and unfortunately the mental side of it ... if the physical side doesn't get cleaned up, the mental side suffers because of it."
Gill told Australian Story of the deep stress of running a rescue operation under the intense scrutiny of the international media.
Ball still has nightmares about the rescue he coordinated. "I don't think I've had a good night's sleep since Anzac Day," he told Australian Story. Ball also confessed that he believed the two miners were dead until he and another miner, Steven Saltmarsh, broke safety laws to get close enough to hear them shout and confirm they were alive. "It was just like a big freight train of adrenalin had just hit you smack in the back of the head."
