‘ELATED’: All 39 miners safe on the ground after rescue near Sudbury

The company said it will launch an investigation into what happened.

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SUDBURY, Ont. – The last four miners trapped deep below the surface at the Totten mine near Sudbury headed to safety early Wednesday morning, the company that owns the mine said.

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Vale said the rescue operation that saw 39 workers climb a series of stairs is complete.

“This is great news arising out of very difficult circumstances,” Vale CEO Eduardo Bartolomeo said in a statement.

“All of us at Vale were focused and committed to the safe return of our employees underground.”

The last miner surfaced shortly before 5 a.m., company spokesman Jeff Lewis said.

“Everybody is euphoric,” Lewis said.

“The four finalists are in good spirits and happy to be back with their loved ones.”

He said the last miner was taken away in an ambulance as a precautionary measure, but “he walked to the ambulance and was punching the mine rescue team in the warm room.”

The CEO of the Brazilian company, who was at the mine, praised the team that saved the workers.

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“I would like to congratulate our rescue team,” Vale CEO Eduardo Bartolomeo said in a statement.

“Getting our 39 employees home safely was our top priority and we are pleased that our emergency plans and procedures are working to achieve that result. All employees are safe now and deserve our deep respect for their perseverance and willingness. “

Workers were trapped in the mine Sunday when a bucket being shipped underground broke loose and blocked the mine shaft.

Some of the miners were trapped 1,200 meters below the surface, the company said.

They had to climb a series of stairs to get out of the mine and were helped by a rescue team.

The rescue operation began Monday night.

A team of 58 first responders from the company’s rescue team and the Ontario mine rescue agency assisted workers trapped on their long journey down the stair system, the company said.

Bartolomeo said the company will launch an investigation into what happened “so that the company can learn from it and take steps to ensure it never happens again.”

Vale said the workers stayed in underground “shelter stations” and had access to food, water and medicine before leaving.

The province’s Ministry of Labor, Training and Capacity Development said an inspection team will investigate the incident.

Totten Mine opened in 2014 in Worthington, Ontario, and produces copper, nickel and precious metals. It employs about 200 people.