AUSTRALIA 
All normal before sudden rockfall, says survivor Russell
Thursday, 24 July, 2008
The inquest into the death of Miner Larry Knight is underway. (AAP) (AAP)
The Beaconsfield rockfall that killed miner Larry Knight happened in the blink of an eye, survivor Todd Russell has told an inquest.
Mr Russell and Brant Webb survived 14 days trapped underground in the Tasmanian gold mine after the rockfall on April 25, 2006, which killed Mr Knight.
Giving evidence at the inquest in Launceston into Mr Knight's death, Mr Russell told coroner Rod Chandler the collapse happened "so quick".
"It happened quicker than what you can blink," he told the inquest.
"We were hoping that Larry made it out."
Mr Russell said everything had seemed normal during the underground shift that night.
"Never heard nothing, never seen nothing, it was probably the quietest I had ever heard it that night," he told the inquest.
"To me it was just normal."
Source: AAP