Beaconsfield mine disaster timeline

A TIMELINE OF THE 2006 BEACONSFIELD MINE DISASTER

April 25

- A small earthquake triggers an underground rockfall at the Beaconsfield mine

- Fourteen miners escape unhurt while Brant Webb, Todd Russell and Larry Knight are trapped, sparking a search and rescue mission

April 26

- A remote-controlled, earth-moving loader fitted with cameras begins removing rubble 925m underground

April 27

- Mr Knight's body found and recovered while search continues for Mr Webb and Mr Russell

April 30

- Mr Webb and Mr Russell discovered alive in a telemover cage after they are heard yelling

May 1

- 90mm access tunnel is cut to send food and other comforts through a plastic pipe to the miners

- A powerful raise borer machine carves a rescue tunnel

May 2

- Doctors report both men in good spirits with only minor injuries to their hands

May 3

- Men receive toiletries, notes from families, and iPods loaded with The Foo Fighters and Kevin Bloody Wilson (upon request)

May 4

- 16m pilot tunnel to guide the raise borer is completed. Borer uses a 1m-diameter cutting head to grind through solid rock

May 6

- Borer drills about 14.5m into the rock face while rescuers use hand tools

May 7

- Rescuers resort to low-level blasting after hand tools prove ineffective.

- Veteran TV reporter Richard Carleton dies after a heart attack during a live press conference at the mine

May 8

- Rescuers extend tunnel to reach under the miners

May 9

- The miners see a probe drilled through the rock crust below their cage around midnight

- Their families told they will be freed by 6am

- Mr Webb freed from the cage at 4.47am followed by Mr Russell at 4.54am

- They walk from the mine shaft lift at 5.59am with arms raised

- Funeral for Mr Knight

May 2006-2008

- Inquest into Mr Knight's death reveals that the mine was under financial pressure and sent workers down to levels previously closed off after an earlier large rockfall

2009

- In his findings, Tasmanian coroner Rod Chandler says no one in particular is to blame

2012

- "Beaconsfield" telemovie released starring Lachy Hulme and Shane Jacobson