Newmont Mining Corporation

Hunter, Nevada

In the early hours of a frigid, snowy December morning, six members of Newmont's Nevada surface maintenance team were headed to work when they saw a woman standing on the side of the highway in bloodsoaked clothes. She was waving desperately for help.

After coming to a stop, the only passersby of about 20 to do so, the men jumped out to discover the woman's Ford Excursion had hit an icy patch of road and tumbled down a steep embankment to rest upside down. Her family of five, and a crate full of Yorkshire Terriers and puppies, remained below.

The woman's husband suffered from broken ribs and a concussion, and her young son's leg was pinned under the SUV. A puppy had a broken leg as well. Fortunately, the rest of the family's injuries were minor.

After descending the steep hill, the men put their own coats on the crash victims, and then they worked to jack up the vehicle off the boy's leg (luckily, he suffered only minor tissue damage). They then applied first aid skills learned at Newmont's annual safety refresher training to assess the injuries and instill calm until emergency responders arrived. Finally, the men helped pulley the victims to the interstate for transport to the hospital.

When these miners arrived at work a few hours later, they were recognized for their selfless acts with $250 spot recognition awards. They pooled their money and, later that day at the hospital, donated the $1,500 to the family. Turns out the husband had lost his wallet in the accident, so the gift was an added blessing.

"This was the will of the Lord, the work of angels," said the woman, Darlece Loper, in an interview with the Deseret News. "Whatever this is, it is definitely a miracle. Those men were his workers. They're men of character."

Newmont is proud of these employees for their honorable response to this incident.

April 18, 2011