Steve Lipscomb, a 42-year-old foreman from Elkview, West Virginia,

died on Nov. 8 while helping his crew escape a sudden flood inside the Rolling Thunder Mine.

Officials say an old mine wall collapsed, releasing water that trapped him after he made sure “every member of his crew was evacuated.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey said “all of West Virginia mourns the loss of this courageous man,”

adding that Lipscomb “spent his final moments ensuring his men could escape to safety.”

Rescue teams searched for five days before finding his body.

Alpha CEO Andy Eidson said, “His actions to ensure the safety of his crew members were heroic.”

A former Marine who survived a roadside bomb in Iraq, Lipscomb was known for his selflessness.

His wife Heather said, “He was more worried about everybody else getting out… than he was concerned about himself.”

He leaves behind his wife and two daughters.