MANCHESTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — Family members are raising money for the funerals of two men killed in a mountain collapse in Clay County.
They were discovered on Dec. 27 on Stone Gap Road in Manchester.
The victims, identified by family members as Donald and Jonathan, were reportedly digging for coal to heat their homes when the collapse happened. When they did not return on time, family members searched for them.
According to the GoFundMe post:
"They were found a day later by Donald's older brother Richard. While retrieving the coal, the coal mine collapsed causing the mountain to slide, both Donald and Jonathan were overcome with mud and rocks. Richard worked feverishly to dig them out with his bare hands but realized they had lost their lives and he would need help retrieving their bodies. He shared with the family through his tears that there was a bucket of coal already in the truck and it seemed as if Donald had realized the rocks were shifting and had begun running toward the mining area to save Jonathan."
A cousin says the men were "good ole country boys."
The money raised will go towards their funerals and burials, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 3, in Manchester.
