Dugald River mine workers Dylan Langridge and Trevor Davis dug up by colleagues near Cloncurry

The grieving colleagues of two miners who died on the job were given the grim task of extracting the bodies from 125 meters underground.

Dylan Langridge, 33, and Trevor Davis, 36, were placing explosives 100m underground at the Dugald River mine, 70km from Cloncurry, in north-west Queensland, on Wednesday morning when the tragedy struck.

The men were in a light utility vehicle at around 8 a.m. when the ground below them began to collapse, causing the couple and their car to be sucked into a 25m-deep recess, a large opening where oil is extracted. mineral.

Another worker, who was operating a 30-tonne drilling rig nearby, was also partially swept away but narrowly escaped and went down with him.

Langridge and Davis were unable to escape their vehicle in time and were crushed by the long fall into the underground mine, with rescuers finding their bodies Thursday afternoon.

Mount Isa Police Inspector Erin Shawcross said investigations into the incident are continuing and offered her condolences to the workers ‘dig up their coworkers’.

“Hats off to the mine employees who were emotionally upset but knew there was a job to be done and worked very hard under the difficult circumstances,” he said.

The bodies of Mr Langridge and Mr Davis have been removed from the site and will be flown to Brisbane or Townsville for coronary procedures before being returned to their families.

Loved ones have paid tribute to the miners, while the mother of Langridge’s two young children had shared a desperate plea for him to return home safely before his death was announced.

“We know you’re struggling down there, please keep fighting,” Kelly Mcburnie wrote.

They are close to finding you, you need to go home with your children, with your family.

‘I’m sorry for everything I’ve said or done, nothing will stop me from taking care of you. The children need their daddy, please be well.’

Another friend of the two miners said that he had lost two ‘brothers’.

“Some of the hardest workers I’ve ever contracted with and they will definitely never be forgotten,” he said.

Another colleague said that Langridge felt like family to her.

“You taught me a lot and we helped each other through some very difficult times in our lives, but you always made work less like work and had a cheeky smile at the end of the day,” she said.

A fellow miner said it was “privileged” to work alongside Mr. Langridge, adding that Mr. Davis “always supported me.”

The men were employees of the mining contractor Barminco.

The managing director and chief executive of its parent company, ASX-listed Perenti, Mark Norwell, said the discovery of the men’s bodies was “a devastating result.”

“I want to extend my deepest condolences and condolences to the families, friends, colleagues and loved ones of Trevor and Dylan, who should have returned home safely from work yesterday.”

It is not clear what caused the collapse of the ground in the mine.

The rig operator is receiving medical treatment and remains stable.

Part of the van Langridge and Davis had been in was found hidden in the rubble via drone, but when colleagues tried to reach them by radio, there was no response.

Langridge started working with Barminco in March 2020.

He worked as a truck operator at the Savannah mine in WA before transferring to help service crews at Dugald River later that year.

In October 2021 he was promoted to recharge operator.

Mr. Davis started working for Barminco just a few months after Mr. Langridge in August 2020.

He worked as a shotcrete operator at the Rosemont, WA mine before transferring to work alongside Mr. Langridge as a loading operator at Dugald River in November 2021.

Dugald River General Manager Tim Akroyd said everyone at the mine site is struggling to understand the devastating accident.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with family and friends at this time and we will provide all the support we can,” he said.

“I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved in the emergency response to this incident and the support we have received from the community and authorities.”

Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the tragedy “should never have happened”.

‘Loss of life in any workplace at any time is not acceptable. Families should be able to expect that when their loved ones go to work they will return safely.’

The Dugald River mine has been using Barminco contractors since early 2012.

The mining operation at Dugald River has been suspended while a joint investigation between Barminco and relevant authorities begins its analysis of the incident.

Resource Safety and Health Queensland will lead the initial investigation.