Chilean Miners Finally Rescued After 69 Days

After 69 days of endurance under the ground, the Chilean miners that had been trapped in the desert mine in San Jose were finally rescued by a team that used missile-like a rescuing capsule.

Early this morning the rescuers began pulling the 33 men one by one to the surface to air and freedom, where they were received by their loved ones and the population of the Latin American state that had kept the fingers crossed for them all along in cheers, tears and hugs.

Five men were already taken to the surface where family expected them and the rest are expected to be freed in the next hours.

The first to come out was Florencio Avalos, 31, who was wearing a helmet and sunglasses to protect him against the bright light. After hugging his wife and child he received a bear hug from the Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.

Mario Sepulveda, 40, the second man to be rescued, handed souvenir rocks from the place where he spent two months imprisoned.

Juan Illanes, 52, the third miner to come out surfaced after one hour calling the trip to the surface a “cruise.”

Bolivian Carlos Mamani, 24, was greeted by his wife Veronica as he came out as the fourth rescued miner. He was greeted by the Chilean President and his wife who was waving small Bolivian flags. Mamani signed the sign of victory at the Chilean flag on his T-shirt and said “Thank you, Chile!”

The last of five rescued miners was jimmy Sanchez,19. (According to a Yahoo.News update a sixth miner was already pulled out of the mine and the operation continues.)

The medics are taking special precautions and are organizing the order of the rescue, by planning to pull out those who have a health condition first, and those who can endure a few hours more after.

Aspirins and compression socks were given the miners to prevent blood clotting, after their pulse, skin temperature, and respiration rate had been monitored carefully.

Televisions are restricted from the area, and the government’s photographer and state TV which are allowed in there will have to record with a 30 seconds delay to make sure they don’t release something unexpected.

It is expected that the worst problem that may occur is that “a rock could fall,” jamming the capsule partly.

There is a concern regarding the “panic attacks” that the miners may experience. They were not sedated because of the need for them to react in case something went wrong.

No one was ever rescued in such capsules at such depths, and that is why the miners could suffer an attack of claustrophobia and could try to do something to get out of there. Or a rock could block the capsule on its way out.

The rescue operation puts an end to a national crisis that started in Chile on August 5, when 700,000 tones of rock collapsed sealing the San Jose Mine and trapping the miners beneath at 2,300 feet (700 meters).

The Chilean authorities promised that they will not desert the miners, but will look out for them until they have been reintegrated in their environment and in their jobs.