TERRACE, B.C. – A large-scale rescue operation is underway at the Red Chris Mine in northwest British Columbia, where three contract drillers have been trapped underground since a ground-fall incident on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The men, confirmed to be employees of the Smithers-based company Hy-Tech Drilling Ltd., are believed to be safe and uninjured inside a fortified refuge chamber while crews work around the clock to clear a massive debris field blocking their exit.
As the complex operation entered its third day, the focus has shifted to the advanced tools being used to safely navigate and clear a massive debris field. The incident began on July 22 when an initial ground-fall occurred in a non-producing section of the mine. Three contract employees of Smithers-based Hy-Tech Drilling Ltd. followed safety protocols and moved to a fortified MineARC refuge chamber. However, a second, larger collapse then cut off all access and severed communication lines.
The primary obstacle is a substantial debris pile, estimated to be between 20 and 30 metres long and up to 8 metres high.To tackle the challenge without risking human life, a remote-controlled scoop loader was transported from the nearby Brucejack mine. Crews are now operating the machine from a safe distance, methodically clearing the rock and earth that blocks the tunnel.
At the same time, specialized underground drones equipped with laser scanners are flying into the unstable area. These drones provide rescuers with a critical, real-time 3D map of the debris field and assess the geotechnical stability of the surrounding rock, ensuring the rescue effort itself does not trigger further collapses.
Mine operator Newmont Corp. has expressed confidence that the three men—diamond drillers from British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario—are safe. The refuge chamber is a self-contained unit, engineered to support up to 16 people and stocked with a supply of clean air, food, water, and lighting. The workers are believed to be medically stable and uninjured.
While clearing the physical obstruction is one major effort, a parallel team is working to repair the mine’s “leaky feeder” communication system to re-establish contact with the trio.
In response to the emergency, Newmont has suspended all mine production to dedicate its full resources to the rescue. Hy-Tech Drilling has its Critical Incident Response Team on-site, working with Newmont and providing support and constant updates to the workers’ families. The incident comes just months after Hy-Tech signed the largest contract in its history, a five-year drilling agreement with Newmont for the Red Chris and Brucejack sites.
As the robotic scoop continues its work under the watchful eye of the drones, the operation remains a delicate balance of technology, patience, and teamwork, all focused on a single goal, bringing the three men safely to the surface.
