Snap Lake mine mourns deaths
Two fly-in, fly-out workers killed, another hurt in car crash in Alberta
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Workers at the Snap Lake Diamond Mine are in mourning after the deaths of two of their co-workers in a car crash in Alberta on Feb. 18.
Shawn Briffett and Harold May Jr., both 37, were fly-in, fly-out workers from Newfoundland.
A third Snap Lake worker Mark Antsey, 35, also from Newfoundland, was seriously hurt in the crash.
RCMP said it happened when a taxi van the men were riding in and a pickup truck collided at about 1:30 a.m. in Leduc, Alberta.
The crash happened after the two men completed a two-week shift at the mine, located about 220 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife.
"It's been very difficult for the team at Snap Lake and it will be difficult for those returning (to work) who were on the same crew," said Tom Ormsby, director of corporate affairs for DeBeers, which owns the mine.
"Mark seems to be improving and we wish him a speedy recovery."
May, who worked as a heavy equipment operator, was the father of two young children.
Briffitt's Facebook page indicates he was the father of a six-year-old daughter.
Ormsby who works in Toronto but grew up in Newfoundland said he well understands how the tight-knit communities the men were from are also struggling to deal with their deaths.
"Harold had been with us for just under a year while Shawn had been with us since 2011. I had never had the chance to meet them," Ormsby said.
He said their colleagues would have all left the mine that day.
"They will all be returning next week and company officials will be open to any employees who feel they need counselling or just someone to talk to," he said.
He wasn't aware of any specific ceremony or memorial planned for the miners.
"People are getting together at the mine this week and discussing this," Ormsby said.
