Few Australians would not have been affected by the sad death of Beaconsfield mine collapse survivor Todd Russell. For those of us who sat glued to the news 20 years ago as the drama played out, it struck a particularly poignant chord.

Subscribe today for the news that matters

Login or signup to continue reading

First, the disaster, then the search, followed by the sensational news Todd Russell and Brant Webb were still alive. Our introduction to Bill Shorten, then national secretary of the Australian Workers' Union, whose face became a regular fixture on our TV screens with his regular updates on the complicated rescue effort.

And, of course, the national sigh of relief as Webb and Russell emerged after what seemed like an eternity trapped underground. The pair's triumphant return to the surface after the nail-biting rescue was a unifying moment for the entire country. There was local pride as well because the explosives expert who set up the blast that enabled the rescue, Darren Flanagan, came from the NSW South Coast.

For me, it was also a reminder of my own good fortune. A confirmed claustrophobe, I can think of only a handful of jobs less appealing than mining underground. My own forays beneath the surface have always been terrifying - and embarrassing.

A moment of panic in the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam had me sweat-drenched and battling to slow my breathing and heart rate. I couldn't get out fast enough, much to the annoyance of those behind me who had to make way. Likewise, an ill-advised foray into one of the pyramids in Giza, which saw me bolt back to the surface as if my life depended on it.

The other day, a friend sent me a New York Times story about a little-known front in the Ukraine war - troops doing battle inside underground gas pipelines. Just reading about it sent shivers down my spine.

Decades ago, I listened in horror as a former RAAF employee recounted his terrible job which involved entering the fuel tanks of F-111 fighter-bombers to clean them. It was an occupation that ultimately cost him his life after years of being exposed to toxic chemicals. Withered and........

© The Examiner