Today is the first anniversary of the New Zealand mining disaster at Pike River in which 29 miners died. Among those who perished were St Andrews man Malcolm Campbell and Perth-born Pete Rodger. Malcolm’s parents this week spoke exclusively to The Courier’s Dave Lord about their torment and the all-too-rare moments which have brought some small comfort.
It is a date that will be forever etched in the minds of Malcolm’s parents, Jane and Malcolm Snr. Their son was one of 29 to die that day, with Perth-born Pete Rodger among the other men to perish.
After a year of praying for ”impossible miracles”, Malcolm and Jane told The Courier of their crusade to ensure the bodies of all the men are recovered. As days of uncertainty gave way to the realisation their son was dead, they have endured the ”worst year imaginable”.
”We first heard about the mine at 5am that morning when Malcolm’s boss called us,” Jane recalled. ”He said to put the TV on as he had seen that there was an explosion in a mine in New Zealand, although he was not sure if it was the same one Malcolm was working in.
”We quickly put the TV on only to realise it was indeed Malcolm’s mine.”
Malcolm and Jane struggled to make sense of what was happening to their son.
”We phoned the Pike River office and were told that Malcolm was one of the men underground,” Jane said.
Expectations of a happy ending were high as the disaster happened just weeks after 33 miners in Chile were hauled to safety after being trapped 700 feet underground for 69 days.
Jane said: ”We still had so much hope as it was not long since the Chilean miners all came out alive. We were getting phone calls from various people at Pike River giving us updates and, although we were still in shock, we were keeping positive.
”Our families came to give us support without them I think we would have crumbled. They stayed with us that whole weekend, while we were glued to the news and receiving phone calls.
”We just not could not contemplate that the guys would not make it. I remember us both saying out loud: ‘Come on Malcolm, hang in there, they will get to you’, over and over again.”
Two days after the first explosion, Malcolm and Jane received a phone call suggesting they should head to New Zealand.
”We had already booked flights for December so my brother-in-law made the arrangements with the airline to swap the tickets so we could go the next day.”
Continued…
On arrival in New Zealand there were emotional scenes as Malcolm and Jane met daughter Kerry, who had been in Australia at the time of the blast. Just hours later, came the news that a second explosion had rocked the unstable mine.
A meeting had been called in Greymouth, close to the Pike River mine, and it was there Malcolm and Jane first met the families of many other victims.
”Peter Whittle (CEO of Pike River) stood up and said that the mines rescue team were ready to go in and the room exploded with cheers,” Jane said. ”I remember thinking: ‘This is it, they are coming out’. However, our hopes were soon dashed when he raised his hands and said sorry, mines rescue were ready but a second explosion had taken place that the men would not have survived.”
Jane recalled: ”It was just awful. Kerry was inconsolable, everyone was crying or shouting. I then asked the police if the media, who were outside, would be going on air and she said yes. At that point I had to phone my family back in Scotland as we did not want them to hear what had happened on the news.
”I remember phoning my sister Carole and all I said was: ‘they didn’t make it’.”
Jane’s mum had died six months before the tragedy and, in May, her father also passed away.
”It has been the hardest year of our lives,” she said.
There have been fleeting moments of comfort for the Campbell family.
”Family, friends, work colleagues, the people of St Andrews and those further afield have given so generously to the fund for the Pike River recovery,” Jane said.
The focus of all Malcolm and Jane’s attention is on bringing their son home so he can be buried alongside his grandparents. But Jane knows the moment his body is recovered from the mine will be incredibly difficult, not least because it will signal and end to ”miracles”.
”It is a bit worrying and hard to explain but I keep thinking of miracles although I know deep down it is now impossible. It will all be final when he comes home there will be no miracles left.”
Despite the tragedy, what can be never taken away from the 25-year-old’s family is their memories.
Jane added: ”It seems a cliche but he was just a good guy. Our lives will never be the same again. I would not wish anyone else to suffer the pain in our hearts.”
His death may have left a huge hole in the lives of all who knew him but one thing remains clear Malcolm Campbell will never be forgotten.
On arrival in New Zealand there were emotional scenes as Malcolm and Jane met daughter Kerry, who had been in Australia at the time of the blast. Just hours later, came the news that a second explosion had rocked the unstable mine.
A meeting had been called in Greymouth, close to the Pike River mine, and it was there Malcolm and Jane first met the families of many other victims.
”Peter Whittle (CEO of Pike River) stood up and said that the mines rescue team were ready to go in and the room exploded with cheers,” Jane said. ”I remember thinking: ‘This is it, they are coming out’. However, our hopes were soon dashed when he raised his hands and said sorry, mines rescue were ready but a second explosion had taken place that the men would not have survived.”
Jane recalled: ”It was just awful. Kerry was inconsolable, everyone was crying or shouting. I then asked the police if the media, who were outside, would be going on air and she said yes. At that point I had to phone my family back in Scotland as we did not want them to hear what had happened on the news.
”I remember phoning my sister Carole and all I said was: ‘they didn’t make it’.”
Jane’s mum had died six months before the tragedy and, in May, her father also passed away.
”It has been the hardest year of our lives,” she said.
There have been fleeting moments of comfort for the Campbell family.
”Family, friends, work colleagues, the people of St Andrews and those further afield have given so generously to the fund for the Pike River recovery,” Jane said.
The focus of all Malcolm and Jane’s attention is on bringing their son home so he can be buried alongside his grandparents. But Jane knows the moment his body is recovered from the mine will be incredibly difficult, not least because it will signal and end to ”miracles”.
”It is a bit worrying and hard to explain but I keep thinking of miracles although I know deep down it is now impossible. It will all be final when he comes home there will be no miracles left.”
Despite the tragedy, what can be never taken away from the 25-year-old’s family is their memories.
Jane added: ”It seems a cliche but he was just a good guy. Our lives will never be the same again. I would not wish anyone else to suffer the pain in our hearts.”
His death may have left a huge hole in the lives of all who knew him but one thing remains clear Malcolm Campbell will never be forgotten.