UMWA responds to mining death

The United Mine Workers of America released a statement about the death of a miner in Boone County.

32-year-old Rodney Osbourne of Artie was killed in a mining accident at Gateway Mine in Boone County. The accident occurred Tuesday, as OOsbourne was reportedly operating a continuous miner.

The United Mine Workers of America released the following statement in response to the accident:

"The entire UMWA family mourns the loss of our Brother, Rodney Osborne, who was killed at the Gateway Eagle mine in Boone County, W. Va., yesterday. Our hearts and prayers are with his young family at this most difficult time, and we stand ready to assist them in any way we can."

"Brother Osborne, a member of UMWA Local Union 1503, was just 32 years old. Our safety experts have already been in the mine and examined the area where the incident that took his life occurred. Our team continues to participate in the investigation into this tragedy and we will not rest until we fully understand what happened so that we can prevent it from ever happening again."