Chilean Miners Rescue Operation Begins

**madanthonywayne** · 10-12-10, 09:29 PM

After 69 days trapped 1/2 mile underground, a missle like rescue capsule has just reached the tunnel in which the 33 minors have been trapped. I'm watching the rescue worker in the tunnel shaking hands with many of thte miners as I write this.

A missile-like escape capsule was lowered into a nearly half-mile tunnel in the Chilean desert Tuesday night to carry 33 miners to fresh air and freedom after 69 days — the longest anyone has ever been trapped underground and survived.
Steam rushed from the hole into the frigid night air — a sign of the humid, sauna-like conditions the men have endured in the gold and copper mine.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera patted the side of the custom-built capsule proudly as the last act of the mine collapse ordeal approached.
"We made a promise to never surrender, and we kept it," Pinera said as he waited to greet the miners, whose endurance and unity captivated the world as Chile meticulously prepared their rescue.
Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said he hoped the first of the miners would still emerge before midnight, a slow process because of the need for methodical testing with a rescue worker inside once all the cables are attached and tested.
A mine rescue expert will be lowered in the capsule and raised again to test it, and then that rescuer and a navy special forces paramedic will be lowered to the men to prepare them for the trip. Only then can the first miner be pulled to safety. It is expected to take as many as 36 hours for the last miner to be rescued.

Read the rest:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_mine_collapse
Live feed:
http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/22309266

**Tiassa** · 10-12-10, 09:44 PM

The capsule is now on its way up with the first miner. Phoenix is rising ... Phoenix is rising.

Florencio Avalos, upward bound.

**madanthonywayne** · 10-12-10, 09:58 PM

Avalos out, 32 to go.........

**Tiassa** · 10-12-10, 10:03 PM

And he's out.

This is the human species.

**madanthonywayne** · 10-12-10, 10:05 PM

The rescue operation has been very well handled from the start, it sort of reminds me of Apollo 13.

**~~John99~~** · 10-12-10, 10:31 PM

Capsule is coming in. Capsule makes contact.

**adam2314** · 10-13-10, 03:37 AM

Six miners out now !!..

Rescue going like clockwork..

**milkweed** · 10-13-10, 06:03 AM

I just watched # 9 come through.

An amazing story at every angle.

"he [Mario Sepulveda] jubilantly handed souvenir rocks from his underground prison to laughing rescuers."

Great sense of humor!

**Captain Kremmen** · 10-13-10, 08:10 AM

It's a conspiracy. The miners are all actors working for the Chilean Government.
Behind that cave are luxury suites and bars with dancing girls.

Joking. But some numpty is going to say it eventually.
It does remind me for some reason of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing.

**cosmictraveler** · 10-13-10, 08:19 AM

While I commend those that have made this rescue possible I'd like to know why this accident happened to begin and what is being done to prevent anything like it from happening again in a few years. Much time is being spent on the rescue but so far nothing has been said as to what happened to have this problem start in the first place. Wouldn't it more prudent to find out why things happened and take the necessary steps now to provide adequate things to improve mine safety rather than just spend so much time on just the rescue.

**Captain Kremmen** · 10-13-10, 08:27 AM

I wonder how many Chinese miners, similarly trapped, could have been rescued given such heroic efforts.
Viva Chile!

**Syzygys** · 10-13-10, 11:11 AM

What I find interesting is that a very important fact of the whole rescue is almost never mentioned!

The Chilean rescuers got a HUGE help from a mining company from Somerset county. If you recall a few years ago there was a similar accident there, when the miners spent like 3 days underground although not in such a depth.

Anyway, 3 people from the company worked 3-4 days at once without sleep using their own equipment to help the Chileans. The reason they were there because when they heard that it will take until Christmas, they knew they have a better method what was faster.

So far they haven't been paid by the Chilean government and they said it was for saving lifes not for money.

But I think they should be mentioned.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10286/1094681-455.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quecreek_mine

**madanthonywayne** · 10-13-10, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Syzygys

What I find interesting is that a very important fact of the whole rescue is almost never mentioned!

The Chilean rescuers got a HUGE help from a mining company from Somerset county. If you recall a few years ago there was a similar accident there, when the miners spent like 3 days underground although not in such a depth.

Anyway, 3 people from the company worked 3-4 days at once without sleep using their own equipment to help the Chileans. The reason they were there because when they heard that it will take until Christmas, they knew they have a better method what was faster.

So far they haven't been paid by the Chilean government and they said it was for saving lifes not for money.

But I think they should be mentioned.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10286/1094681-455.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quecreek_mine

Thanks for that info. So the Chilean government wasn't just "pulling a Scotty" when they said the miners wouldn't be out until December. This Brandon Fisher from Somerset County came in and helped with the drills needed to do the job more quickly than the Chilean government thought possible.

On a lighter note, a miner nicknamed "Dr House" (not a doctor, but has some first aid training which he used to treat some of his fellow miners) has asked his wife and mistress to greet him upon his rescue. Sadly, his wife has refused.
Chile miners rescue: miner asks wife and mistress to greet him

**Syzygys** · 10-13-10, 05:25 PM

Today on TV they also mentioned the NASA helping and somebody coming in from Afghanistan I think. My bet that the Chilean government will forget to pay these guys...

**quadraphonics** · 10-13-10, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by Syzygys

Today on TV they also mentioned the NASA helping and somebody coming in from Afghanistan I think. My bet that the Chilean government will forget to pay these guys...

It's not generally considered a problem not to pay volunteers. No "forgetting" is required, when people are helping out without asking for money in return.

**Cowboy** · 10-14-10, 06:04 AM

I'm glad they're all safe. How the hell did they survive for over two months like that? Aside from food and water, there's mental health to think of.

**Captain Kremmen** · 10-14-10, 07:00 AM

Originally Posted by Syzygys

Today on TV they also mentioned the NASA helping and somebody coming in from Afghanistan I think. My bet that the Chilean government will forget to pay these guys...

Are they charging a bill for their help?
Not quite sure what you mean.
I hope you aren't saying that they won't give full credit to everyone who helped them.
That doesn't seem to me to reflect the mood of the thing at all.

One thing is sure. This, like the Apollo project, is a triumph of engineering.

Almost a century on, this compares with the Titanic Disaster, 1912,
but with a happy ending.

re the Titanic:
I have read recently that because the designer was on board, he made them keep on sailing, believing that the ship could not sink.
If it had come to a full stop, every passenger would have been saved.

Motto: Patience and Planning beat Hare Brained speed.

The Chile mining non-disaster.
It's one of the greatest stories of all time.
Am I overdoing it in saying that?

**Syzygys** · 10-14-10, 09:04 AM

Originally Posted by Captain Kremmen

Are they charging a bill for their help?
Not quite sure what you mean.

What I mean that those 3 guys worked there for weeks without much sleep, while they could have earned money at home. So at the very least, they had lost income.

They said it wasn't about the money, but me thinks they should be reimbursed with a huge thanks.. If it wasn't for them, the miners would be underground until December...

**Syzygys** · 10-14-10, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by quadraphonics

It's not generally considered a problem not to pay volunteers. No "forgetting" is required, when people are helping out without asking for money in return.

Sure, but there is a huge difference between let's say handling sandbags in a flood (anyone can do it) or very actively and with a huge sacrify contributing to the success of the rescue.

Read the link how much they worked there. They were falling asleep STANDING....

**ElectricFetus** · 10-14-10, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by madanthonywayne

On a lighter note, a miner nicknamed "Dr House" (not a doctor, but has some first aid training which he used to treat some of his fellow miners) has asked his wife and mistress to greet him upon his rescue. Sadly, his wife has refused.
Chile miners rescue: miner asks wife and mistress to greet him

I heard about this around the water hole yesterday, imagine a bunch of biotechnicans in a small coffee lounge laughing it up "Hey I heard there is this one miner that refuses to come up. What no way, why? Because his wife AND his mistress will be waiting for him up top, HAHAHAHA" funny but what do you know its mostly true!