Beaconsfield mine disaster timeline

BEACONSFIELD MINE DISASTER TIMELINE:

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