Ronnie & Johnny – Working Underground

This song speaks of Johnny’s personal experience working a kilometer underground in Mt Isa.
He was part of a train crew of 3 loading and removing the waste rock and soil known as ‘ mucking”.

On this occasion the muck was far too wet and caused a rush of mud to come down the chute while Johnny was directing it filling the train cars. There was an avalanche of water, rock and mud which knocked him off the train, losing his cap lamp so he was in total darkness. Much of the train was buried but he managed to climb up the wall to hang onto a beam and wait for rescue. The two other men escaped the water and mud.

Johnny was later told that mine rescue thought they would have to retrieve his body and were extremely relieved to find him alive!

He was never able to work underground again.