The rescue of 39 miners trapped hundreds of metres underground in northern Ontario was complete Wednesday morning after the final worker emerged at the surface "giving fist bumps" to the rescue team.
A spokesman for Vale, the mining company that owns Totten Mine near Sudbury, Ont., said the last miner emerged shortly before 5 a.m.
"Everyone is elated," Jeff Lewis said. "The final four are in good spirits and happy to be back with loved ones."
Lewis said the last miner to emerge from the ground was taken away in an ambulance as a precautionary measure, but "walked onto the ambulance and was giving fist bumps to the mine rescue team in the warm room."
Vale CEO Eduardo Bartolomeo, who was at the mine, praised the team that rescued the miners who became trapped on Sunday.
"Bringing our 39 employees home safe and healthy was our top priority and we're glad that our emergency plans and procedures worked to deliver that outcome," he said in a statement. "All the employees are safe now and deserve our deep respect for their perseverance and strong will."
United Steelworkers, which represents the majority of the trapped miners, also thanked the rescue crews.
"In Sudbury, we have some of the best rescue crews in the entire world – workers who voluntarily train on an ongoing basis, in case an emergency like this ever happens," said Nick Larochelle, president of United Steelworkers union Local 6500.
The union said many rescue workers made four trips per shift as they carried heavy packs of supplies to the miners below.
The workers became trapped on Sunday when a scoop bucket being sent underground detached and blocked the mine shaft. Some of the miners were trapped as deep as 1,200 metres below the surface, the company said.
Vale said the workers stayed in underground "refuge stations" while awaiting rescue, and had access to food, water and medicine.
The rescue operation began on Monday night, with the trapped miners scaling a series of ladders to climb to the surface.
A team of 58 responders from the company's rescue team and the Ontario Mine Rescue agency helped the workers through their long trek up the ladder system, the company said.
Bartolomeo said the company will launch an investigation into what happened so that it "can learn from it and take steps to ensure it never happens again."
The province's Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development also said an inspection team will investigate the incident.
Totten Mine opened in 2014 in Worthington, Ont., and produces copper, nickel and precious metals. It employs about 200 people.
