In Salmon, Idaho, a silver miner’s body was recovered on Sunday in a cave, more than a mile underground. Mine company executives have reached the conclusion that it was an unexplained cave-in. The body belonged to fifty-three-year-old Larry Marek.

The president of the mine company sent out a video message after the collapse, expressing his hope that the veteran miner might have miraculously survived the April 15 mine collapse. The president of the company had search teams make advanced searches through the caves, as deep as two hundred and twenty-feet to locate the miner.

Hecia executive, Melanie Hennessey explained, “We are heartbroken to report that we now believe Larry was under the fall of ground when it occurred and is deceased. Words cannot express the deep sorrow we feel at the tragic loss of our friend, colleague, and 30-year veteran of the mining industry. Marek was presumed dead, and his remains were later found and brought to the surface. Hennesset also stated that “the company will begin our in-depth investigation to discover how and why this happened.”

Reports show that Larry Marek had not been in contact with anyone he was in the underground tunnel with his brother, who was the only one of the two to survive the collapse. Known as heroic silver minor, Marek’s death was an unfortunate turn of events.

The collapse occurred in one of several communities in a historic Idaho mining district, known as the Silver Valley. This valley was disposed to impulsive rifts of rock (rock bursts). These rock bursts triggered the cave-in. Cave-ins are the single most dangerous threats that minors face alone when mining. The Lucky Friday Cave is known as one of the deepest mines in North America, at approximately six thousand one hundred and fifty feet deep. With this recent collapse and fatality, it is obvious that the danger of these types of caves should not be taken lightly.