00:03The moment the world had been waiting for.
00:08Beaconsfield gold mine workers Todd Russell and Brant Webb walk free after spending two
00:14weeks trapped deep underground.
00:17Twenty years later, Brant Webb remains fully aware of how lucky he is to be alive.
00:23With rescues, you know, it can go two ways, you know, it can go good or bad.
00:27We were just lucky ours went good.
00:29But amid the relief was the knowledge their colleague Larry Knight wouldn't share that
00:34moment.
00:34A mining induced earthquake triggered a rock fall on Anzac Day 2006, killing Mr Knight.
00:40The other two miners were trapped in a metal cage almost a kilometre underground.
00:45To live under there for two weeks, you know, for them to keep us alive for two weeks is
00:50pretty good.
00:52Greg Croden was part of the mine rescue team.
00:54Their operation is widely considered among the most complex and dangerous in Australian
01:00history.
01:01A heap of rocks are just bound up on top of a basket and if you imagine you pull a
01:05keystone
01:05out it can all just fall in.
01:07So it was like fairly delicate to try and rescue them for that situation.
01:13When the two miners finally emerged, their story captured hearts and headlines across the
01:19world.
01:19There were movies, books and songs written about their ordeal.
01:23But the past two decades have not been without their own challenges.
01:27I think the worst times is when your mine's racing and you can't sleep and you know, things
01:33like that and you don't understand why.
01:35Todd Russell recently retired from the Beaconsfield volunteer fire brigade after more than 30 years
01:40of service.
01:42Mr Webb is now a proud grandfather who lives just down the road from the mine turned museum.
01:48Yeah, the rescuers mate, I've got to take my hat off to them again because without them
01:52I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you.
01:54Honouring an event that will live long in Australian memory.
01:57So definitely a great a great week.
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