The men, both fathers, were both killed on Tuesday night at Paxton’s Austar mine when a 15-metre wall of coal collapsed. 

They were among a group of seven miners preparing a new long wall, 500 metres underground and 10 kilometres from the mine opening. 

It took emergency services three hours to reach the miners.

Engineers and NSW Ambulance Paramedics attended the scene but both men were pronounced dead at 12.15am, Wednesday. 

The collapse is believed to have been triggered by a rock burst or ‘pressure bump’ as it is known in the mining industry. 

Since the tragedy there has been an outpouring of community support for both the men, their families and the mining mates they have left behind.

Member for Cessnock, Clayton Barr, said the event was a sad consequence for two men that simply went to work one afternoon and now will never come home.

“For our community, for our rich mining heritage, a death in the coal mining industry is one of the saddest of them all,” he said. 

“The men and women that participate in the mining industry drive our economy and our way of life here in Australia. 

“When we switch our lights on at home – it is our coal miners that have delivered that electricity. 

“They do dangerous work that serves all of us.”

Cessnock Mayor Bob Pynsent said that the men would be sorely missed. 

“On behalf of the people of the Cessnock LGA I offer condolences to the families of Jamie Mitchell and Phillip Grant,” he said. 

“We also feel for their work colleagues who might have witnessed this tragic accident. 

“Coal mining is a dangerous occupation and an important part of our heritage and these miners will be sorely missed.”

Mine workers formed a guard of honour for both men as their bodies were retrieved from the site – Mr. Mitchell’s early Thursday morning and Mr. Grant’s later that afternoon. 

Colleagues Brent Nolan and Chad Law, who were both underground Tuesday night when the incident happened, paid tribute to the men they described as more than workmates.

“When you’re underground you look after each other’s back ... They were like brothers to us down there,” Mr. Law said.

“It won’t be the same the next time we go down to work, but we’ve got to stick together and get through it.”

Mr. Mitchell, a member of Austar Coal’s CFMEU, was featured in The Advertiser on April 9 after the Cessnock body of the union made a donation to local women’s refuge Jodie’s Place. 

He was among a number of union members who put in their own money to donate $5000 to the refuge, which provides a safe haven to families affected by domestic violence. 

Mr. Nolan described Mr. Mitchell as a really friendly guy.  

“Every shift he would drive us in and out, and whenever there was something that no one else wanted to do he would already have his hand up for the job,” he said.

“You’d never find a harder worker than Jamie Mitchell, I know that for a fact.

“He loved mining. We would be trying to sleep during our break on night shift and he would have something to eat and go straight back down there and get into it.

“There are a lot of broken hearts and upset guys here.”

Investigations into the accident were paused over the Easter long weekend. 

Dozens of tributes have since been left at the entrance to the mine on Middle Road, including a sign from Mr. Grant’s son Shaun with the messages “RIP daddy; we miss you; love you and you are safe now”. 

CFMEU Northern District president Peter Jordan said that the focus of the union is now on assisting the families of Mr. Grant and Mr. Mitchell, as funeral preparations are made for next week. 

He has also called on for a review into mining practices. 

“I think that the mining industry needs to have a good, long, hard look at itself,” he said.

“At the end of the day the mines need to stop killing mine workers.

“We can’t accept the fact that the system is right, if men are being killed.

“The relative parties need to look at this and say to themselves, what needs to be done to ensure it never happens again.”

The deaths of Mr. Grant and Mr. Mitchell have brought the number of Australian mining fatalities for the year to six.

Their names will also join the 1,800 others that appear on the Hunter Valley dedicated miners memorial wall. 

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The Cessnock Goannas and Kurri Bulldogs have joined together to fundraise for the families of Phillip Grant and Jamie Mitchell. Read more here.