Marine veteran dies while saving
Steven Lipscomb, a 42-year-old foreman from Elkview, West Virginia, died on
Nov. 8 after ensuring his entire crew escaped a sudden flood in the Rolling Thunder Mine.
Officials say a routine shift turned deadly when “an old mine wall was compromised, unleashing a massive surge of water.”
Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Lipscomb “spent his final moments ensuring his men could escape to safety” and that he “stood his ground until every member of his crew was evacuated.”
Rescuers located his body five days later.
Alpha CEO Andy Eidson called his actions “heroic” and offered condolences to his wife and two daughters.
Lipscomb was a Marine veteran who survived a roadside bomb in 2004.
His wife said, “I think Steven was a very selfless person… more worried about everybody else getting out.”
He is remembered as a devoted father, respected miner, and a man whose life embodied service and sacrifice.
