UPDATE: 4.12pm - Florencio Avalos is the first miner to be safely brought to the surface; 1 up; 32 to go!
A 68-day nightmare is about to end for the 33 trapped Chilean miners. They must have thought that their world had ended when they were trapped underground on 5 August 2010. That they survived the 17 days until rescuers managed to sink a bore into their underground tomb was a miracle in itself. That the first miner is expected to emerge from captivity around midday today (NZ time) beggars belief.
The rescue effort has been meticulously planned. Initial suggestions that the men might have to remain underground until Christmas have been dispelled, and if the rescue goes according to plan, the last of the miners will be back in civilisation some time tomorrow.
There's an excellent graphical presentation of the mechanics of the rescue here; well worth a look. We'll be following the progress of the rescue online, and will update as news emerges.
UPDATE: Live streaming of the rescue is available here, via BBC News.
4 comments:
This is a fantastic story and apparently owes as much to the determination of an American driller as much as the miners themselves.
http://michellemalkin.com/2010/10/12/celebrating-american-greatness-in-chile/
The two overriding thoughts I've had are:
1) 20 minutes in that little capsule?
2) I wouldn't want to be the last one out...
@chfr - the Americans will certainly be the heroes once Hollywood are done with the story!
@ chfr - thanks for that link; very interesting read
@ James - agreed; you wouldn't want to be claustrophobic!
I'm not Chilean, but I get emotional to see these people singing the National Anthem of Chile. God bless them!!!
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