The Pike River Recovery Agency (PRRA) has reached the furthest point it plans to go to in the mine's re-entry efforts.
Dinghy Pattinson, Lloyd Steward, Geoff Rubbo, Leon Pigott and Luke Taylor celebrate reaching the roof fall (the black area behind them) after completing their forensics work in the last few metres. Photo: Supplied / PRRA
The agency said recovery workers reached the roof fall yesterday, which is 2.26km up the mine drift access tunnel.
Chief operating officer Dinghy Pattinson said the team finished the last of the forensic work in front of the roof fall about 11.30am yesterday.
"We completed tunnelling through the plug late last week, and breaking through to the end of the drift was monumental. The boys and I feel pretty good to have now got as far as we can in the drift. That job has been done, and it has been done safely," Pattinson said.
He said the agency would now focus on forensic work in the Pit Bottom in Stone area, which is required for the police investigation.
Families of the 29 miners who lost their lives in the 2010 disaster gave the agency mementoes, which were placed into the foam (Roscil) plug facing the roof fall.
"We left a letter pinned to the Rocsil plug addressed to the Pike 29. We promised that work would continue on finding out what happened on 19 November 2010, and we said goodbye," Pattinson said.
A letter placed on the Rocsil Plug facing the roof fall, along with some woven flowers prepared by one of the team member’s daughters. Photo: Supplied / PRRA
'Stand With Pike' Family Reference Group, which represents families of 27 of the Pike River victims and survivors, put out a statement after the news.
Anna Osborne, whose husband died in the mine, said she had mixed emotions about reaching this stage of the process.
"I'm incredibly proud that we have got this far and so thankful that the people of New Zealand have backed us getting this done and gathering the evidence that is crucial to getting justice for our boys.
"But it's also hard to know that this is as far as we will go and that Milt is still in there. I think every family member will be feeling that same mixture of pride and sadness."
Sonya Rockhouse, who lost her son Ben in the explosion, said this was another milestone on the way to justice.
"The drift recovery was always about retrieving evidence and, if they were there, remains. Now that the mining work is done the in-depth forensics can be completed and the legal work can begin."
PRRA workers measuring the tunnel. Photo: Supplied / PRRA
Rowdy Durbridge, who worked at the mine and whose son Dan died in the explosion, said coming to the end of the drift was hard.
"Let's face it, we didn't get what we want in our hearts - to get our boys back - but we knew that wasn't likely when we started. The next best thing for me is getting some justice for Dan and the fellas down there and I think they'd be proud that we've got to that."
PRRA chief executive Dave Gawn said the milestone was the culmination of three years of careful planning and execution.
"The recovery operation has not been without its challenges and 2020 was particularly fraught with delays from Covid-19, products of combustion and the sheer complexity of the debris field in the upper reaches of the drift," he said.
Gawn said it was a reflection of the efforts involved, along with the desire to re-enter the mine, gather evidence, and "hold to account those responsible for the disaster".
"I want to offer huge thanks to all those working on the mine site and the small team supporting them from the agency office. We still have a job to finish but we are thrilled to have recovered to the roof fall safely, as we were mandated to do."