ELKO, NEVADA

An Idaho man was killed Monday at the SSX Mine in Elko County, according to Small Mine Development.

At approximately 4 p.m., Jason Potter, 26, of Lava Hot Springs was fatally injured while working at the site, said SMD representative Cheryl L. Gmirkin.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration reported the fatality, and the company released the miner’s information.

“At this point we cannot accurately describe the events which are pending a thorough investigation with assistance from MSHA, the State Mine Inspector, and Elko County Sherriff’s Department,” Gmirkin said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time.”

The mine is part of the Jerritt Canyon complex and is owned by Jerritt Canyon Gold LLC. The accident comes just days after a fire at the site’s roaster. No one was injured in the fire.

The SSX Mine is one of the underground gold mines at the site. All the other underground mines at the site — Saval 4, Smith, SSX-Steer Complex and Starvation Canyon — are operated by SMD.

SMD has 500 employees total and roughly 230 at the Jerritt Canyon Complex.
The mine site is about 50 miles north of Elko.

No further information was available from MSHA or the company.

This is the 15th accident resulting in a death this year for non-coal mines and the third mine fatality in Nevada.

The first was Jan. 11 at Newmont Mining Corp.’s Leeville Underground Mine. A contractor, Brian L. Holmes, 53, was working for Cementation USA Inc. He died after an accident while traveling on a skip in a ventilation shaft.

The second was May 28 at Allied Nevada Gold Corp.’s Hycroft Mine. An Allied Nevada employee, David D. Martinez, 61, was killed when a water truck ran into the “porta-john” he was occupying.

Source: http://elkodaily.com/mining/idaho-man-dies-at-jerritt-s-ssx-mine/article_a40e7a0e-cd47-54a3-8ee0-56af8fad96b8.html

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ELKO, Nev. -- 

Federal mine safety regulators are investigating the death of an Idaho man who was working at a gold mine in northeast Nevada.


The victim was identified Tuesday as 26-year-old Jason Potter of Lava Hot Springs.


A spokeswoman for the mine operator, Small Mine Development, told the Elko Daily Free Press Potter was fatally injured about 4 p.m. Monday at the SSX mine about 50 miles north of Elko.


Cheryl Gmirkin says the company is cooperating with the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration but that it's too early to accurately describe the events that led up to the fatality.


The mine is the same one where a fire caused the shutdown last week of a high-temperature roasting oven used to process ore. No one was injured in that incident.