CADIZ — The Feb. 12 death of a coal mine drill operator resulted from a lack of safe drilling policy and the lack of a safe barricade on the highwall where he was working, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Its report on the deadly incident states that Edward Blomquist, a 73-year-old highwall drill operator with 46 years of experience in the industry, was working at CCU Coal and Construction LLC’s Sexton Strip when the accident that claimed his life occurred. The mine in the Cadiz area employs 13 miners and operates five days per week.

Blomquist was working above the 021 Pond Pit drilling a row of holes for blasting.

At 9:21 a.m. Feb. 12, Blomquist completed a blast hole and started tramming in reverse to get his drill in position to work on the next hole. The report states the drill’s tracks were parallel to the edge of the highwall when the ground failed, causing the drill to fall off the highwall to the pit floor 30 feet below.

Two employees who were in the pit went to the drill and found Blomquist outside the cab. He was unresponsive and had no pulse. The employees called 911 for help.

Harrison County Coroner Dr. Porsche Beetham pronounced him dead at the scene at 9:45 a.m.

“The accident occurred because the mine operator did not: 1) have a policy or procedure in place to ensure safe drilling and work practices near the edge of the highwall, and 2) correct or barricade the loose and unconsolidated material along the edge of the highwall,” MSHA’s report concludes.

MSHA’s accident investigation team was joined by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mineral Resource Management to examine the scene.