The Director of the West Virginia Office of Miner’s Health, Safety, and Training, Frank Foster, said the agency has paused the search of an abandoned coal mine in Wyoming County for a missing man.
Three four-man teams searched Sunday from 12 to 8 p.m. and Monday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and found no trace of 50-year-old David McKinley Hess.
Hess was reported missing Sunday by his family in the Pineville area.
His ATV was discover near the opening of the Robinson-Phillips Mine near Pineville.
Since the mine is no longer active, there is no ventilation or roof control and the teams worked in 12 to 24 inch coal to conduct the search.
Foster said the search will be paused until crews get further information that he may be inside.
Hess is 5′-6″ and weights about 160 pounds. Anyone with information on Hess is asked to contact the Pineville Police Dept. at 304-732-6255.
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