The Chilean Miners Are Rescued!

 

Since these useful products all exist really deep down inside the Earth, we can usually only get to them by mining. Mining refers to special kinds of digging that are used to access the natural resources deep below Earth’s surface! A person who works in a mine is a miner. Miners work very hard and when they are in an underground mine, they are often around lots of dust and dirt, as well as hot, dark, and cramped surroundings. Although technologies are used to provide the best conditions possible, mining can be dangerous because of the possibility of problems like the underground tunnel caving in.

On August 5^th, 2010, a copper and gold mine in Chile experienced one of these problems: The mine caved in, trapping all 33 of its workers about 2,000 feet underground!

After the mine collapsed, nobody was sure the miners had survived. Because of the possibility that the mine could collapse even more, rescuers could only drill very thin holes into the rock to look for the men. After about two weeks, a drill finally resurfaced from below ground with a note from the miners attached! It was considered a miracle that they were all still alive – they’d made two days worth of food last over two weeks.

Over the next several weeks while officials and experts made plans to rescue the men, small tubes were used to send food, water, medicine, and letters down underground. They communicated with doctors about their health and used phone and video to talk with their families. Even though they were surviving on limited food and water, with no real light and almost no fresh air, the men always seemed to be hopeful and in good spirits!

The rescue took about two months to plan. It was challenging because there were so many layers of hard rock to be drilled through, while being careful not to do anything that would cause the rock to collapse any more!

On October 13^th, the rescue finally began! A capsule called “The Phoenix” was sent through a hole to retrieve the men one at a time. The special capsule was built for a person to ride in it as it was pulled above ground with its passenger inside. As they were brought above ground one by one, crowds of people and even the Chilean president stood by cheering and singing the Chilean national anthem. Families were reunited and by the end of about a day, all 33 men were safe and sound! People all around the world watched the successful and happy rescue and the 33 men are universally praised for their courage and bravery!