Mining Incidents

Mining Incidents in South Dakota

South Dakota has 16 recorded mining fatalities on file with MSHA, across 5,508 reportable incidents (1984–2025).

Every reportable accident on file with MSHA at a South Dakota mine. Operators below are ranked by recorded fatality count in this state.

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Fatalities recorded
16
Total incidents
5,508
Fatal rate
0%
Years on record
1984–2025

Year-over-year fatalities

  1. 1984 2
  2. 1985 1
  3. 1986 1
  4. 1987 1
  5. 1988 1
  6. 1989 1
  7. 1991 4
  8. 1994 1
  9. 1995 1
  10. 2002 1
  11. 2023 1
  12. 2025 1

Top mines in South Dakota by fatality count

  1. 01 Homestake Mine Lead 10fatal
  2. 02 GCC Dacotah Inc 1fatal
  3. 03 DAKOTA MAHOGANY QUARRY 1fatal
  4. 04 Carnelian #1 Quarry 1fatal
  5. 05 OPEN CUT - LEAD 1fatal

Top operators by fatality count

  1. 01 Homestake Mining Company Of California 11fatal
  2. 02 Bowes Construction Inc 1fatal
  3. 03 Cold Spring Granite Company 1fatal
  4. 04 Dakota Granite Company 1fatal
  5. 05 Fechner Mining Company 1fatal
  6. 06 GCC Dacotah Inc 1fatal

Recent fatalities

February 22, 2025 SD · Metal/Non-Metal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
GCC Dacotah Inc · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

A miner received fatal injuries. After a bridge collapsed that the miner was operating a skid steer loader on. The miner was clearing refractory brick form a rotary kiln. The bridge that was installed by the property owner collapsed. The skid steer fell approximately 10 feet into a hopper, causing the payload of brick to engulf the operator causing fatal wounds.

May 2, 2023 SD · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Bowes Construction Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Miner was found to be ran over by a stacker while crushing at our East Pit. Miner was deceased when found by other miners.

April 22, 2002 SD · Metal/Non-Metal miner, nec Fatality · MACHINERY
Dakota Granite Company · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

WHEN OPERATING SLOT DRILL, IT APPEARS HE GOT BETWEEN THE DRILL STEEL AND HIGHWALL AND HIS CLOTHING BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE ROTATING DRILL STEEL. THE CLOTHING WAS PULLED TIGHT AROUND HIS CHEST CAUSING HIM TO BE SUFFOCATED.

January 5, 1995 SD · Metal/Non-Metal coal/ore shovel operator, shoveler, power shoveler Fatality · FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
Homestake Mining Company Of California · Struck by falling object

SUDDEN MASSIVE UNPREDICTABLE FAILURE OF EAST HIGHWALL RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE FALLING SLIDING ROCK CRUSHED THE 5130 SHOVEL KILLING THE OPERATOR. IT ALSO SERIOUSLY IMPACTED THE 85 TON TRU CK BEING LOADED WITH RESULTING HEAD AND LEG WOUNDS TO THE DRIVER.

August 6, 1991 SD · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man Fatality · MACHINERY
Homestake Mining Company of California · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY THE INVESTIGATING TEAM THAT THE JUMBO DRILL THAT WAS BEING USED WAS DRIVEN UP THE 10' X 10' INCLINE AND STOPPED AT 18 FT. FROM THE FACE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. APPAR ENTLY THE JUMBO STARTED BACK DOWN THE INCLINE TRAVELING ABOUT 33 FEET BEFORE STRIKING THE LEFT RIB OF THE INCLINE. THE IMPACT OF THE STRIKING OF THE LEFT RIB CAUSED THE JUMBO TO SWING AROUND

March 19, 1991 SD · Metal/Non-Metal driller operator Fatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Homestake Mining Company of California · Fall down raise, shaft or manway

EMPL WAS WORKING A DIAMOND DRILL OPERATORAT 4100 LEVEL 69 STOPE 17L & WAS LAST HEARD FROM WHEN HE ALLED TELE OPER AROUND 11:00AM EMPL WAS FOUND IN 46 BOREHOLE 4100-4400 APPROX 4:40 PM.

January 19, 1989 SD · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler Fatality · HOISTING

VICTIM AND PARTNER WERE TRAVELING DOWN ROSS SHAFT BELOW THE 5000 LEVEL TO CHECK WATER LEVEL IN SUMP WHEN CAGE SUDDENLY STRUCK WATER IN THE SHAFT. CAGE WAS QUICKLY FILLED WITH WATER AND VICTI M WAS WASHED OUT OF THE CAGE AS IT WAS LIFTED BACK OUT OF T HE WATER.

October 6, 1988 SD · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Homestake Mining Company of California · Struck against a moving object

SCRAPER #26-821 OPERATED BY I.NAME RETURNING TO LOADING AREA EMPTY WAS STRUCK BY SCRAPER OPERATED BY I.NAME WHO WAS EMPLOYED BY SUMMIT INC

January 30, 1987 SD · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man Fatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Homestake Mining Company of California · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

I.NAME WAS OPER5TING A MOTOR WITH A STRING OF NINE CARS AND WAS TRAVELING THROUGH THE DUMP WHEN THE TRAIN CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP WITH THE SECOND CAR ON THE CAMEL-BACK. HE APPARENTLY GOT OFF TH E MOTOR TO DETE9MINE THE CAUSE OF THE STOP. HE APPARANTLY APPOACHED THE OPEN DUMP AND REACHED UP FOR THE WAND SWITCH TO TURN OFF THE WATER SPRAYS AND FELL INTO THE OPEN

March 25, 1986 SD · Metal/Non-Metal drill operator Fatality · MACHINERY
Cold Spring Granite Company · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS DRILLING3WITH JACK HAMMER DRILL STEEL BROKE EE FELL BACKWARDS 14' INTO TRENCH.

May 20, 1985 SD · Metal/Non-Metal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Fechner Mining Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

THE VICTIM DROVE A 55A FRONTEND LOADER TO THE TOP OF A 12\ HIGH QUARRY WALL TO PUSH MATERIAL OFF THE TOP. THERE WAS A SLIGHT GRADE TOWARDS THE WALL. THE VICTIM STARTED TOWARDS THE HIGHWALL WI TH THE BUCKET DOWN & THE BUCKET CAME AGAINST A SOLID ROCK IN THE BOTTOM. THE VICTIM BACKED THE FRONE END LOADER UP & THEN CAME FORWARD AGAIN. THE BUCKET BOUNCED UP OVER THE SOLID & THE LOADER

September 1, 1984 SD · Metal/Non-Metal cage/cager/station attendant Fatality · HOISTING
Homestake Mining Company of California · Fall down raise, shaft or manway

I.NAME HOISTING RAIL TRUCK LOADED WITH USED DRILL STEEL,PIPE OTHER MISC.SEVERAL LONGER PIECES OF STEEL WERE ALSO PLACED UNSECURED AT AN ANGLE IN THE CAGE.APPARENTLY ONE OF THESE LONG PIECES SL IPPED AND BECAME CAUGHT IN SIDE OF SHAFT AS CAGE WAS MOVING UPWARD.THE MOVEMENT CAUSED STEEL AND CAGE GATE TO BECOME ENTANGLED AND TORN AWAY.I.ANME FATALLY INJURED WHEN HE FELL OR WAS THROWN

July 24, 1984 SD · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator Fatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON

I.NAME FELL FROM ROSS CRUSHER ROOM CRANE TROLLEY WHILE IN PROCESS OF HELPING REAVE AND HANG NEW TRAVELER BLOCK FOR TIGER OVERHEAD CRANE.

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