The final episode of the series, I Was Actually There – Beaconsfield Mine Disaster, airs on ABC Australia on Tuesday, 13 August 2024, at 8.00 pm, with a compelling account of the Beaconsfield mine collapse in Tasmania.
On that fateful day, a mine collapse a kilometre underground claimed the life of Larry Knight and trapped two of his colleagues, Todd Russell and Brant Webb, in what became a renowned story of survival. The incident quickly escalated into a global media frenzy, with the small mining village of Beaconsfield finding itself at the epicentre.
The episode examines the six-day period after the rockfall, during which rescue teams worked frantically to determine if Russell and Webb were still alive. The sense of relief and celebration in the town upon discovering their miraculous survival soon gave way to the daunting challenge of extracting them safely.
“Now they were alive, what do we do now? There’s two hundred tonnes of rock sitting above them. To try and get them out, if it went bad, we kill them,” recalls Beaconsfield Mine General Manager Matthew Gill, underscoring the immense pressure and responsibility faced by the rescue teams.
The episode presents a diverse range of perspectives, including those of the rescue workers, local townspeople, loved ones, and journalists who descended upon Beaconsfield to cover what had become the biggest news story in the world. “We got the feeling the town didn’t want us there,” recalls rookie news reporter Candice Wyatt, reflecting on the challenging dynamic between the media and the local community.
Even after their remarkable liberation from the mine, the trauma of the experience continued to haunt both Russell and Webb. “I’ve been down some very dark roads, and the latest one eight or nine months ago, where I didn’t wanna be here,” Todd Russell confesses, revealing the enduring impact of their underground ordeal.
I Was Actually There – Beaconsfield Mine Disaster airs Tuesday, 13 August 2024, at 8.00 pm on ABC Australia.
