Friday, January 26th 2018, 11:25 pm
911 calls made after Monday's deadly gas rig explosion in Pittsburg County have just been released.
Five federal and state agencies are investigating what caused the explosion.
News On 6 has copies of the eight 911 calls from neighbors, people passing by, and workers, all describing what they heard and saw just moments after the gas rig burst into flames.
911 Call
Caller: "We're on Vascum Road."
Dispatch: "Ok, what is on fire and exploded?"
Caller: "It's an oil rig."
The first 911 call came in at 8:38 Monday Morning.
911 Call
Dispatch: "Ok, What's the name of the rig?"
Caller: "It is Patterson 219."
Dispatch: "Patterson 219. Is anybody hurt?"
Caller: "Yes ma'am, there is multiple people hurt. There was a full crew on the rig when it exploded."
911 Call
Caller: "There's a lot of black smoke"
Dispatch: "ok"
Caller: "and it's really getting bad."
Dispatch: "Alright Sir, is there any kind of chemicals or anything in the air? Other than…"
Caller: "It's … natural gas"
Dispatch: "Ok, and is it…"
Caller: "Oil-based mud, it's on fire. The whole rig is on fire."
Dispatch: "Ok, we've got them headed your way."
24 hours later, crews recovered the bodies of five men in what's called the doghouse, the office used to control the drilling rig.
Two victims, Cody Risk and Josh Ray, were from out of state.
Roger Cunningham, Parker Waldridge, and Matt Smith lived in Oklahoma.
News On 6 learned Smith's funeral is Tuesday in McAlester.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to Matt's son, Rhett.
His family said Rhett was his proudest accomplishment and that, "Matthew was everything to us. He has left a space in our lives that will never be filled. You may not realize it, but this world is not the same place it was before."
As families wait for answers, News on 6 has learned ten workers have died over the past decade at well sites linked to the drilling contractor, Patterson UTI.
Another report links the company to 20 deaths between 2002 and 2007, while no other company had more than 5 deaths during that time span.
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