COBAR, NSW — Tributes are pouring in for Holly Clarke, 24, and Patrick McMullen, 66, who tragically lost their lives following an explosion at the Endeavor Mine in Cobar early Tuesday morning.
Authorities say the blast occurred around 3:45 a.m., while the trio of miners were underground on the night shift to set charges. It is believed that the explosives detonated unexpectedly before the workers could reach safety.
Patrick McMullen, 66, was killed instantly in the explosion. Holly Clarke and another 24-year-old miner, Mackenzie Stirling, were rescued and brought to the surface. Clarke later died from her injuries, while Stirling was airlifted to Orange Health Service, where she was treated for hearing damage and shock. She remained in stable condition as of Tuesday night.
The tragedy has deeply shaken the tight-knit mining community of Cobar. On social media, friends, colleagues, and locals shared messages of heartbreak and remembrance for Clarke and McMullen. Many changed their profile pictures to a miner’s helmet reading “In memory of our fallen miners.”
“My heart is so broken right now! I’ll never forget you or our days at Inland — you always brightened up a room when you walked in. I’ll cherish our friendship forever,” one friend wrote.
Another described Clarke as “someone who always had a smile on her face and could make anyone’s day.” Others remembered both victims as “beautiful souls taken too soon.”
Cobar Mayor Jarrod Marsden said the community is “devastated and in shock.”
“The most valuable thing in a mine are the miners, and two families won’t see their loved ones again. Their lives have been changed forever — just decimated by this,” he said.
In a joint statement, NSW Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos called it a “heartbreaking day” for Cobar and the mining industry, offering condolences to the victims’ families, friends, and colleagues.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the workers who have tragically died in Cobar today. We understand investigations are still underway.”
The Endeavor Mine, located about 450 km east of Broken Hill, is the second-largest mine in Australia’s polymetallic region and produces zinc, silver, and lead. Once shut down in 2020, it was purchased by Polymetals in 2023, with operations resuming earlier this year. Around 30 workers were on-site the night of the explosion.
Mining operations have been suspended while investigations continue into what caused the fatal blast.
As Cobar mourns, the community remembers Holly Clarke and Patrick McMullen not only as skilled workers but as cherished friends and loved ones — two lives lost far too soon in the pursuit of their work underground.