KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — UPDATE 1 P.M. THURSDAY: A funeral service for the 26-year-old Kentucky man killed Monday at a Nyrstar zinc mine in Knox County will be held Friday night in Harlan, Ky.
Cody Scott Maggard, of Corbin, Ky., died Monday afternoon in the incident at the Immel mine in the Strawberry Plains area of Knox County.
The federal Mining Safety and Health Administration is investigating.
Maggard was a Harlan native and devoted University of Kentucky Wildcats fan and NASCAR fan, according to his obituary.
Federal authorities classify the accident type as "powered haulage." The classification addresses mobile equipment, conveyor systems and "anything else under power that hauls people or materials," according to a Department of Labor spokeswoman.
The incident happened about 3:40 p.m. Monday.
Authorities were called to the scene about a man injured in a mine shaft, according to a Knox County Sheriff's Office report.
Nyrstar operates several underground zinc mines in the Knoxville metro area.
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This story was corrected to reflect that the man did not receive treatment from AMR and was dead on the scene.
Federal authorities are investigating a man's death Monday at the Immel Mine in Knox County.
The mine off Old Andrew Johnson Highway is operated by Nyrstar.
WBIR reached out to Nyrstar, based in the Netherlands, for comment. The company said the man died while on duty, but that the cause of his death is unknown at this point.
"The company extends its deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of the employee who had worked at the mine for almost 5 years," the company said. "Nyrstar is offering counselling and other support to colleagues who have been affected by this tragic incident."
Mike Cohen, spokesman for American Medical Response ambulance, confirmed to WBIR that a crew was dispatched to the scene. The call came in at 3:41 p.m.
Cohen said the man was alive when AMR arrived and the crew gave him treatment, however, Nyrstar said this was incorrect. The company said the employee died before ambulance crews arrived and did not provide care or services, saying the man's body was taken to the Knox County Medical Examiner's office.
Cohen later also said that received incorrect information about the incident and said that the man was dead on the scene. He confirmed that AMR did not treat him.
Nyrstar said it has reached out to AMR to correct the statement.
Cohen said it wasn't clear if the man had suffered work-related injuries prompting the emergency call or if he'd fallen ill.
A U.S. Department of Labor spokeswoman in Washington confirmed the department was investigating. It wasn't clear how old the person was or what their identity is.
The incident is classified as a fatality on the Mining Safety and Health Administration website. The accident classification is listed as "powered haulage."
"That classification includes mobile equipment, conveyor systems, and anything else under power that hauls people or materials," Labor spokesman Laura K. McGinnis said in a note to 10News.
According to McGinnis, powered haulage incidents have accounted for a disproportionate percentage of mining fatalities, prompting Mining Safety to educate workers about the hazards.
McGinnis said the department was limited Wednesday on what it could release about Monday's fatality.
Nyrstar operates three East Tennessee underground zinc mines - the Young, Coy and Immel mines.
The state is not involved in the investigation.
