http://missoulian.com/news/local/articl ... 002e0.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Former UM football player Tim Bush dies in mining accident
SILVERTON, Idaho - A former All-American football player at the University of Montana died Friday of internal injuries from a rock fall in a Friday morning accident at Galena Mine near Silverton, Idaho.
Tim Bush, 29, was a contract employee at the underground silver mine. He was working with his cousin in an 8-by-8 foot mining stope when he was hit by a falling boulder, family members said. Bush had to be carried up a ladder before he could be taken to Shoshone Medical Center, where he died. His dad, Ken Bush, who works as a trainer at the Galena Mine, was by his side.
Bush was a standout wrestler and football player at Kellogg High School who went on to play football with the University of Montana Grizzlies as a defensive end. During his football career he was named an All-American and set two school records with 34 career sacks and 50 tackles for loss. Both records still stand.
"When he was playing football for the Griz, we would load up cars and head over there to watch his games. He got tickets from other players who didn't have family close by so that we could sit in the parents section," said his older sister, Tacey Keylon.
"He was always really humble about everything he won," she added.
Bush stood 6-foot-3-inches and weighed 245 pounds in college. He thought about teaching physical education or working in sports medicine, but he came back to the Silver Valley to be close to his family, Keylon said.
He lived in Pinehurst, within a ½ mile of his parents and two siblings. He started working as a contract employee at the Galena Mine about two years ago. Before then, he had worked at the Stillwater Mine in Montana, commuting back and forth.
"Tim never complained about anything," his sister said. "He liked to work hard...Tim was a family man. He has a son who's going to turn 1 in July. He was going to get married Sept. 4. He was planning a wedding with his finance."
The accident is under investigation by the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
The Galena Mine is owned by U.S. Silver Corp.
Sad day for Griz nation.
