The next few hours will be the last the miners spend
together underground. On the surface, the crew and families are agog with
excitement as they await the climax to the two month long rescue operation. The
Phoenix 1
capsule, specially designed by the Chilean navy with help from NASA, has
already completed a test run. The trapped miners will surface one by one in
specially designed green overalls bearing their names. Although the rescue
officials have prepared a list of the order in which the men should ascend, the
order might change once the paramedics descend into the mine first to oversee
the journey upwards. The first one out will be the strongest followed by the
others who are sick. Luiz Urzua, the shift supervisor is expected to be the
last one out.
The Phoenix will take 20 minutes to traverse the 2,041 feet to the surface. Hence, it would take almost an hour for the capsule to make a round trip. Media has been barred from viewing the miners as they reach the surface. The media platform set up is 300 meters away from the point of rescue. The Chilean government has placed a lot of attention to the psychological challenges the miners will face when they are finally released. They will meet with a team of doctors and psychologists who will evaluate their emotional and physical status before they meet with a few family members.
Rescue team psychologist Alberto Iturra recommended that the rescue operations start at dawn. This would give the team enough time to fly the miners to the nearby town of Copiapo. A special miners’ psychological support team has been set up to help the miners deal with the wide attention they are going to receive. Offers for jobs, movie deals, and book contracts and T.V. shows have been pouring. Iturra feels that they would need a lot of psychological support as they learn to deal with all the extra attention and cash that is going to take them by surprise.
