A worker killed Wednesday morning in an underground accident at the Kensington gold mine near Juneau has been identified. The Coeur Alaska division of the Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. says Joe Tagaban, 30, had been working at the mine for about a year.
Tagaban died performing his regular duties at the 1,260-foot level of the mine.
“It is with great sadness that we report the death of Joe Tagaban. He was a respected and well liked employee at Kensington and he will be greatly missed. Our collective thoughts and prayers go out to Joe’s family and his co-workers,” said Mitchell J. Krebs, president and CEO of Coeur d'Alene.
Coeur Alaska spokesperson Jan Trigg confirmed the fatality to Channel 2 News Wednesday, saying it took place at about 7 a.m.
Trigg said appropriate emergency response agencies were notified of the accident, and that the company is offering its full support for the workforce and the family affected.
The Kensington gold mine is located 45 miles northwest ofJuneau.
Contact Jason Lamb at jlamb@ktuu.com
