According to the Associated Press, the monument features the faces of all the men killed following the August 6, 2007 collapse and subsequent September 16 cave-in. The public dedication was held at the newly established Miners Memorial Park west of Huntington on Sunday.
The sculpture’s artist, Karen Jobe Templeton, told the AP that she designed it to be six feet in height so that visitors could look into the eyes and faces of the men.
“With the unveiling of this masterpiece, it's time to celebrate these good lives," Utah Governor Jon Huntsman told the public and media at the ceremony Sunday evening.
“Let us remember this spot as an oasis of tranquillity."
A total of six miners and three rescuers died, including one US Mine Safety and Health
Administration veteran. The mine has since been sealed and closed, and the miners’ bodies were not recovered.
Those workers who lost their lives were Don Erickson, Kerry Allred, Brandon Phillips, Carlos Payan, Manuel Sanchez, Luis Hernandez, Dale Black, Gary Jensen and Brandon Kimber.
Crandall Canyon is owned by UtahAmerican Energy, a division of Murray Energy.
