President Pinera greets Chilean miners as they reach the surface
October 14, 2010
Months of hardship have ended at the San Jose mine as the last of the trapped Chilean miners are brought to the surface.
After almost 70 days trapped half a mile underground, Luis Urzua, 54, and his peers stepped into the daylight to breath the fresh air. Bringing a happy ending to an incident that captured the attention of media outlets around the globe, the men were hauled out through 2,000 feet of rock in the completion of an over 22 hour rescue operation.
Using a metal capsule, dubbed Phoenix 2, the miners were brought to the surface one at a time and greeted by Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. Mr Urzua, the foreman, volunteered to be pulled to the surface last, bravely allowing his workers to go first.
Led by Mr Pinera and Mr Urzua, the miners sang Chile’s national anthem after gathering on the surface with the large crowds that had gathered to hold vigil outside the mineshaft. The miners emerged one at a time throughout the 22-hour day with each one greeted by anxiously waiting relatives.
This most recent rescue operation began on Tuesday just after midnight. The Phoenix 2 pod was lowered into the site where the men were trapped on 5 August after 700,000 tonnes of rock caved in. After receiving instructions from rescue workers who rode the capsule into the mine, workers were brought up one by one every 25 minutes.
Video systems were used to monitor each worker as they ascended for signs of panic. They were provided with oxygen masks and a pair of dark glasses to protect them from the sunlight they had become unaccustomed to.
President Pinera, on hand for the operation, said that tonight was a night the country would not forget. He added that it was full of joy, full of emotion.
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