Miners pay tribute to rescuers

Todd Russell (right) at a meeting of mine workers in Beaconsfield yesterday. Picture / Reuters

Rescued miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb made their first formal media appearance late last night and focused on saying thank-you to those who freed them from the Beaconsfield gold mine.

Speaking publicly for the first time, the pair appeared on the Nine Network's The Footy Show during a broadcast from Beaconsfield.

"First off we'd like to thank everyone, in particular all the mines rescue teams from all over Australia, particularly the Beaconsfield mines rescue team," Mr Russell said.

"A special mention to Hatsy, a good friend. He was the man who kept us going. I put my life in that man's hands and I knew he would bring us home."

Mr Webb said the rescue teams put their lives in danger and "we owe our lives to them".

The pair survived two weeks underground before their rescue on Tuesday.

Both said they could not forget their colleague Larry Knight, 44, who died in the disaster.

They struggled to keep their composure as they remembered their mate.

"To our fallen comrade Larry and to Jackie and the kids, our hearts bleed for you," Mr Russell said.

Mr Webb continued: "Larry was a great friend of mine and a great colleague. And a lot of people miss you, Larry."

Mr Russell asked Nine Network CEO Eddie McGuire if some of the proceeds from the Footy Show's Beaconsfield Bash could go to the Knight family.

Mr McGuire said donations from companies and sporting clubs around the country already amounted to A$450,000 ($565,540).

Mr Knight's brother Darren was at the broadcast and broke the family's silence for the first time since the accident that claimed the life of the father of four.

"The Beaconsfield community were fantastic to the family throughout the rescue operation," Mr Knight said.

"He [Larry] would have wanted the celebrations to be long and go through the night," he said.

Darren Knight said the family were coping. "They are holding up very well," he said.

"Jackie is not a very big girl, but she is very strong."

At a union meeting earlier yesterday Mr Webb and Mr Russell voted with their colleagues to reopen the mine that had entombed them, but also called for an investigation into safety.

They had surprised their workmates when they walked into the union meeting.

"They got a standing ovation," said Australian Workers Union chief Bill Shorten.

Mr Webb, 37, and Mr Russell, 34, were trapped almost a kilometre underground in a cage after a cave-in on Anzac Day.

Mr Shorten said about 50 miners voted unanimously to reopen the mine, which has been closed pending investigations into the cave-in.

But the miners, who have been given a month's wages while inquiries are made, will not return underground until they are satisfied the mine is safe.

"The view of the workforce is that they do want the mine to proceed and be open, but obviously not at any price," Mr Shorten said.

"Our members are ready to work but not at the expense of false guarantees of safety, which can be broken by another catastrophe."

Mine management has said that a seismic event caused the cave-in, but Mr Shorten has blamed mine blasting for the rockfall, citing several cave-ins in recent years.

Meanwhile, further details have emerged of the moment when rescuers broke through.

"We just made eye contact, that was first," said miner Glenn Burns, who aimed his light on his trapped friends through a narrow opening he had chiselled in the rock. "They had no room to move. They couldn't even lay their legs out straight."

Fellow miner Dean Mackrell said Mr Webb had spent hours freeing Mr Russell from the rubble that pinned his left leg after the rockfall.

"They looked after one another," Mr Mackrell said. "They'll have a special bond forever."

- AGENCIES