On Wednesday, September 19, 1979, at approximately 10 a.m. a fatal hoisting accident occurred at the Kerr intake air shaft of Mathies Coal Company, Mathies mine, which resulted in John Marn, Safety Supervisor, being fatally injured.

Marn, age 33, had 4 years 7 months mining experience, 2 years 2 months at this position, Marn was being lowered in an emergency escape conveyance (capsule) in the intake air shaft when the hoist rope became disengaged from the capsule at about 101 feet.  The conveyance fell about 184 feet to the shaft bottom.

The victim was riding the conveyance to the shaft bottom in order to assist in checking the escape hoist communication system and perform his other normal work duties.

The accident occurred when the victim rode a conveyance which had a continuous cable clamp installed as the only means of attaching the wire rope to the conveyance.  The wire rope slipped through the continuous cable clamp and the conveyance fell to the shaft bottom.