An opal miner who was found deceased at the base of a 20 metre opal mine shaft may have died as a result of a malfunction or misjudgement related to the hoist he was using.
A report prepared by the NSW Resources Regulator has flagged that machine safety is the primary focus of investigations.
The miner was seen leaving Lightning Ridge to attend his opal claim at about 6.30 pm on Friday 28 April 2023. His mineral claim in an area known as ‘Emu’s’ within the Coocoran opal fields located about 30 kilometres north of Lightning Ridge NSW. The miner was known to work the claim alone.
Friends of the miner attended his claim about 5.30 pm because they had not heard from him for several hours and were concerned for his welfare. The miner was later found deceased near the base of the shaft…