With men stuck underground, every passing minute meant lower chances of survival. Critically, Alberta did not have a formal mine rescue time at this time, so when the Bellevue Mine sent out its distress call, the closest crew that could come and help was based in Hosmer, British Columbia — roughly 6 hours away by rail. Heroically, Bellevue Mine managers John Powell, Frank Lewis, and Pit Boss John Anderson took it upon themselves to venture into the mine after the explosion, without protective gear or breathing apparatuses, in an attempt to rescue who they could. When the relief crews from Hosmer arrived, they brought with them miners, engineers, fire bosses, pit bosses, and even a town doctor, all having volunteered to help however they could. Many men who entered the mine that day would later be brought out by their fellow rescuers, having fallen unconscious due to gas inhalation.

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Tragically, thirty one men would lose their lives during the explosion, including one rescuer, named Fred Alderson, who had died after handing his breathing apparatus to someone in need. As harrowing as the events of that night were, the disaster could have been much worse. Had the explosion happened during the day shift, there would have been some 200 men inside the mine.