Safe at last
Posted Oct 13, 2010 02:00:33 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SAN JOSE MINE, Chile – The longest underground ordeal in recorded history ended safely — and faster than anyone expected.
In a flawless operation that unfolded before a transfixed world, 33 miners trapped for 69 days deep beneath the Chilean desert, were hoisted one by one back to the surface.
The last miner out yesterday was the one who held the group together for the first 17 days when they were feared lost — a foreman named Luis Urzua who rationed out their limited food and supplies until help arrived.
Less than 24 hours after the rescue began, Urzua made the 622-metre ascent in a rescue capsule called Phoenix.
And as the capsule surfaced, the expectant crowd at “Camp Hope” at the mine site set off confetti, released balloons and sprayed champagne.
There were similar scenes of rejoicing all over Chile as the rescue became cause for national celebration.
Prime Minister Harper was among the many world leaders to offer personal congratulations.
The miners emerged looking healthier, and cleaner, than many had expected.
Once through their physical and psychological examinations they’ll rejoin a world intensely curious about their ordeal, and certain to offer fame and jobs.
