Beaconsfield mine collapse survivor admits he never really liked man he was trapped underground with for two weeks – as Todd Russell dies aged 54: ‘He didn’t respect me’

Brant Webb has said he never really liked fellow Beaconsfield mine survivor Todd Russell, speaking two days after Russell died aged 54 from leukaemia. Webb said they did not hate each other but had little in common and often disagreed, despite spending two weeks trapped underground together.

In 2006, a 2.2-magnitude tremor caused a rockfall that trapped the men 900 metres underground; they were found alive after four days and rescued over two weeks. Russell had spent eight and a half months in hospital, and said shortly before his death that doctors had no further treatment options. Despite their differences, the pair founded a charity supporting young people experiencing homelessness and local causes in Tasmania.