The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
53-year-old worker dies after fall
According to a press release from the Delta County Sherriff’s Department, a 53-year-old surface worker fell from a catwalk at the West Elk Coal Mine on Thursday, June 9.
Preliminary reports indicate that Fred Benally of Farmington, N.M., fell approximately eight feet and was transported to the Delta Memorial Hospital.
Benally was responsive when leaving the mine, but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the Delta County Memorial Hospital on Friday, June 10. Preliminary assessment of the incident indicates that this is an accidental death. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) continues to investigate.
