KANAWHA COUNTY, West Virginia — Steve Lipscomb was a son, a father, a husband, a Marine, a man of faith, and a coal miner.

Ten days ago, Lipscomb and his crew encountered an unknown pocket of water when a “sudden and substantial” flood sent millions of gallons into the Rolling Thunder Mine. Lipscomb lived up to his life of service, faith, family, and community by ensuring his entire crew made it out safely.

Officials said that as Lipscomb finished evacuating his crew, rising water filled the shaft so rapidly that he, the last man remaining, had no way out.

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It was the last time he was seen.

After five days of round-the-clock, hazardous search efforts, a two-man crew found Lipscomb’s body in the mine at 7:37 a.m. last Thursday.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R-WV) announced his death outside the Rolling Thunder Mine.

“This is really a very sad day in West Virginia,” Morrisey said. Lipscomb was the fifth coal miner to die this year in West Virginia.

As a reporter who has visited several coal mines, I can attest to the enormous amount of precision and safety that goes into every step a miner takes. I can also say from experience that once you’re 1,000 feet underground, the most unpredictable danger you face is the Earth.

Morrisey said he grew close to Lipscomb’s family during the rescue and that his prayers turned from hope of survival to sorrow for........

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