The 33 Chilean miners have created a new record for underground survival when they were pulled out to safety on Thursday. They were pulled through over 2000 feet of rock in a capsule, Phoenix, specially designed by the Chilean army for this purpose. It took 24 hours for the rescue operators to pull the 33 miners and 6 rescue personnel to safety in a flawless operation viewed by millions of people all over the world.
The miners have been trapped in a partially collapsed mine shaft since August 5th. Cutting edge technology combined with the solidarity shown by the trapped miners is what is responsible for this record setting feat. Till the rescuers reached them through a narrow perforation hole 17 days later, they survived on the 2 day ration of food they had carried. The credit for this goes to Luis Urza, who led them through a harrowing stay in the humid underground tunnel without losing physical and mental strength. The tiny hole then became the passage for essential food and medication. Later a fiber optic cable sent through the hole helped in communicating with the outside world.
On the day following the rescue, the men are undergoing tests, both physical and mental to assess their status. The doctors feel that they are in surprisingly good health for people who were trapped underground for as much as 69 days. All of them are still wearing dark glasses while their eyes get accustomed to the glare of natural sunlight. The medical team feel that they will need long lasting psychological needs.
Meanwhile, gifts and offers of book contracts and movies have been pouring in from all corners of the world as the media races to record personal accounts of the stay underground.
This incident has shot the technological expertise of Chile into the limelight. Chile is already known for its economic stability and is a favorite spot of investment. Mining remains an important part of Chile’s economy and this incident will help put new safety measures into place.
