Sago survivor goes home; investigators hope he can shed light

Washington (Platts)--31Mar2006

Randal McCloy Jr., the lone survivor of the Sago mine accident, went home from
the hospital Thursday, less than three months after he was injured.

The January accident at International Coal Group's Sago mine in Upshur County,
West Virginia, killed 12 of McCloy's coworkers.

"I would just like to thank everybody for their thoughts and prayers," McCloy
said during a press conference Thursday, wearing a baseball cap and racing
team jacket and surrounded by his wife and family, Governor Joe Manchin and
his wife Gail, and attending physicians.

McCloy, who was in a coma and suffered brain damage along with breathing and
heart problems and liver and kidney difficulties from carbon monoxide
exposure, walked slowly but on his own, supported by a family member.

"Our family is glad to be going home today, another part of our miracle just
three months after the accident," McCloy's wife, Anna, said. "However, there
are 12 families who are in our thoughts and prayers today and every day. The
families of Randy's coworkers and friends are celebrating with us today just
as we continue to mourn with them. Please keep all of them in your thoughts
and prayers."

Doctors were hard pressed to say why McCloy survived while the others didn't
or why he recovered so quickly. They said it may have been that he was exposed
to less carbon monoxide and other toxins or that he was younger than his
coworkers, or because he was a roof bolter, he may have been farther away from
the others.

"Randy is a terrific success story. He exceeded my expectations for such a
great recovery," said Dr. Larry Roberts, director of West Virginia University
Hospital's trauma center, who was McCloy's primary physician during his 21-day
stay there.

"In terms of his neurological prognosis, I think it's excellent. I think he's
a got a great potential for a possible complete recovery," said Dr. Julian
Bailes, McCloy's neurosurgeon. "He was strong. He didn't have any major
setbacks as he went through his recovery. We're not only optimistic, but
confident he's going to have a great outlook."

Recovery not over

Although going home, McCloy will continue to receive physical, occupational,
speech, language and neuropsychological therapy for five or six hours twice a
week at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, where he has been since leaving
WVU Hospitals.

McCloy has brain damage, Dr. Russell Biundo of HealthSouth said. He has
problems with cognitive thinking, complex thinking and memory.

"Randy is going to keep working. He's not normal, and he'll tell you that. His
vision is not there, he is weak on one side ... you can see it when he walks.
And he doesn't walk very well ... he's a little unstable," Biundo said. "He's
still tremendous. Still amazing. It's a transformation that I've never seen
before and I do this every day. He's going to need therapy, a lot of work on
speech, language, memory and thinking."

The accident investigation is ongoing, although sections of the mine have
reopened, Manchin said. The state wants to close the investigation by July 1.

"We're looking for a great deal of help from Randy to finish that
investigation," Manchin said. Both state and federal investigators have asked
to speak with McCloy when he is able.

In a broadcast interview with the Associated Press, McCloy said his memories
of the 41 hours underground are "not much really," just fragmented images he'd
rather forget. When he thinks of his coworkers, he pictures them elsewhere.

"I try to leave out all the gory details and stuff like that because I don't
like to look at them in that light and that way," he said. "I just like to
picture them saved and in heaven, stuff like that. That's really the best way
you can remember somebody."

McCloy is considering a vocational school and may study electronics, but he
said he won't be going back underground.

"No, I done learned my lesson," he said. "The hard way."

-- Mark E. Heckathorn, mark_heckathorn@platts.com

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