Hunter miner Craig Hugo remembered after falling down Hunter mine shaft

An experienced miner who died after falling into a decommissioned mine shaft in the Hunter has been remembered as ‘one of a kind’ by friends and family.

An experienced miner who fell 400 metres into a decommissioned shaft has been remembered as a “true gentleman” after rescue personnel recovered his body following a difficult retrieval operation on Wednesday.

Craig Hugo, 59, is believed to have been undertaking rehabilitation works on the top of a shaft casing at the old Austar Coal Mine in the Hunter region when he fell to his death on Tuesday afternoon.

The mine, located in the small suburb of Ellalong, is owned by Yancoal and ceased operating in 2021, with closure works still ongoing at the location.

The shaft, believed to be an old elevator passage, was almost 400 metres deep, with more than 50 metres of water at the bottom.

Miner Craig Hugo, 59, who died after falling down a mine shaft in the state's Hunter region on September 17.

Specialist NSW Police, NSW Mines Rescue and NSW Ambulance were called to Dry Creek Road around 12.25pm on Tuesday, before calling in a crane to assist in the operation.

The crane boasted a cable only just long enough to reach the bottom of the shaft by less than a metre.

Rescuers were slowly lowered down the shaft, stopping at regular interviews to check gas and oxygen levels before they could recover the body and bring it back to the surface.

Mr Hugo’s body was recovered late on Wednesday afternoon, almost 24 hours after the tragedy, with friends labelling his death a “complete tragedy”.

One family friend told the Telegraph Mr Hugo was a “true gentleman”, who would be sadly missed.

“He was one of a kind,” they said.

Police were called to Dry Creek Road at Ellalong at a decommissioned mine owned by Yancoal where miner Craig Hugo died after falling 400 metres down an old shaft.

“The world will be a little less bright without him. It’s difficult to comprehend such a tragedy.”

Mr Hugo is a Cessnock local, and has spent almost 20 years working for Yancoal in the Hunter region.

Yancoal’s CEO David Moult extended his “sincerest sympathies” to Mr Hugo’s family, friends and colleagues.

“I know Craig’s loss will also be felt deeply by many members of Yancoal’s workforce and we are also providing support to our employees during this time,” he said.

“Our main priority is always the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees and site workers.

“Yancoal would like to thank emergency services, mine rescue organisations, regulatory bodies, staff and contractors who assisted in the recovery operations.”

New figures from Safe Work Australia revealed that in 2023, 200 workers across the country died on the job, up from 195 the year prior.

Vehicle incidents continue to account for the largest proportion of worker fatalities – totalling 84 deaths.

Falls from a height was the second highest contributor to worker fatalities, with a concerning increase of 71 per cent since 2022, from 17 to 29 fatalities.