Three people who were trapped in an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia since Saturday have been found, according to the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training. The rescue teams were unable to locate the three people on Monday and expanded their search on Tuesday, progressing more than 4,000 feet into the mine before locating the missing three on Wednesday evening, officials said.

After getting all three people out of the mine safely, they were brought to their family and friends. After the reunion they were taken to the hospital to be checked out.  “It’s a Christmas blessing, that’s all there is to it,” West Virginia Governor Jim Justice told reporters.

The first person was found at around 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to a representative from the Office of Miners Health Safety and Training. About 30 minutes later, the other two were rescued about 1,000 feet away from the first, officials said.  “We go into these events not to recover, we go to rescue,” said Eugene White, director for the Office of Miners Health Safety and Training.

The fourth person from the group — Eddie Williams, 43 — was able to escape from the mine on Monday evening. Williams told authorities Kayla Williams, 25, Erica Treadway, 31, and Cody Beverly, 21, were still inside, according to a statement from the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and was able to give some details about their locations.

Kayla Williams was seen crying and hugging family members, saying “Thank you” before getting into an ambulance. Beverly, when asked what it was like in the mine, responded, “It was terrible,” to laughs as he got into an awaiting ambulance as well.  “I just come and said they got them all three they’re scuffed up a little bit,” Randy Williams, Kayla’s father, said. “They’ll be transporting them, my guess, to the hospital. That’s all I know, but they’re OK. That’s all I want to hear — that they’re alive and they’re out.”

White said he is now focused on the rescue team who found the three stuck in the mine: “I’d love to be up there hugging them,” he said.

A total of four people were reported missing Saturday after their abandoned ATV was found near the entrance to the Rock House Powelltown coal mine, in Clear Creek, according to West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.