Copiapo, Chile: "Welcome to life," President Sebastian Pinera told Victor Segvia, one of the rescued miners.
On a day of superlatives, it seemed no overstatement.
With remarkable speed - and flawless execution - miner after miner climbed into a cramped cage deep beneath the Chilean earth, was hoisted through 2,000 feet of rock and saw precious sunlight Wednesday after the longest underground entrapment in human history.
Last rescuer comes out
The first of six rescue workers who went down to bring out 33 trapped miners is the last person to get back to the surface, leaving behind an empty, wrecked mine.
In pictures: See the Chile miners' remarkable rescue
Manuel Gonzalez waited alone a half-mile down for 26 minutes while the escape capsule went up and came back down for him. He talked by phone with other rescuers at the top while waiting, joking that he was praying the capsule showed up.
A video feed showed him gesture triumphantly, then bow before making an awkward climb into the capsule, drawing cries of "Careful! Careful!" from those at the surface. Then he strapped himself in and shut the door before disappearing up the shaft.
In all, the operation took just over 24 hours after the first miner was pulled out at 12.11am Wednesday, a marathon broadcast on live television that captivated the world. The intricately planned rescue moved with remarkable speed – and flawless execution – in ending history’s longest underground entrapment.
Operation begins
The rescue operation started Wednesday at 3am UAE time and the first miner emerged from the capsule at 7am, around midnight Tuesday in Chile.
"Never before has such a rescue been attempted," said Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. "The lesson of the miners will remain with us forever," he said.
Florencio Ávalos, 31, a father of two, was the first of the 33 miners to be rescued. The worker emerged smiling from the capsule "Phoenix II" and first hugged his youngest son, Byron. He then embraced his wife Monica and daughter.
But it was Mario Sepúlveda who stole the show. His animated shouts while he was still inside the capsule as he was being pulled up brought a smile to the faces of those on the surface. As he left the capsule he asked "How are you all doing?" .
He kissed his wife and from a bag he handed to government officials stones which he had taken from the mine. He hugged the President several times. Minister of Mining Laurence Golborne told him, "You're a good boss."
The performance of the miner did not end there — he ran up to a fence to greet his friends and yelled, "Ceacheí", a patriotic slogan in Chile.
Live coverage:
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El Mercurio reporter Leonardo Nuñez reports exclusively for Gulf News from the San Jose mine site. Follow the action as it happens with our reports and pictures: |
Editor's note: UAE time is used in this coverage. The UAE is 7 hours ahead of Chile.
4:55am: Luis Alberto Urzua, the last of 33 miners surfaces, after nearly 23 hours since operations began
He is the shift foreman credited with helping the trapped miners endure 17 days in isolation before Chileans discovered the men had survived the mine collapse.
4:31am: 32nd miner winched from Chile mine
Miner Ariel Ticona, who watched the birth of his daughter while trapped, is rescued.
4:02am: 31 miners rescued so far
The 31st miner, 25-year-old acoustics expert Pedro Cortez, is out of the mine.
3:38am: 30th miner brought to surface, 3 more to come up
Raul E Bustos, 40 was a foreman and a hydraulics engineer at the mine.
3:15am: Juan Carlos Aguilar Gaete, is the 29th to be rescued
Aguilar, 49 was supervisor for one of the three shifts at the mine.
2:48am: 28th miner brought to surface
Richard Villarroel, 27, a mechanic, is out of the mine and hugged by family and friends.
2:18am: 27th miner Franklin Lobos Ramirez is welcomed by family
Lobos is a former professional soccer player in a Chilean league. He received one of two signed T-shirts sent to the mine by Barcelona and Spanish World Cup winning star David Villa, whose father and grandfather were both miners.
1:55am: 26th miner Claudio Acuna, 34, arrives safely
He moved up his planned wedding and is now eager to marry his girlfriend as soon as possible. He is the youngest of eight brothers.
1:30am: 25th miner rescued
Renan Valos, 29 has now surfaced. He is the brother of Florencio Avalos.
12:58am: Jose Henriquez was the 24th miner to be rescued
The number 33 is his fate: married for 33 years, working at the mine for 33 years, and one of the 33 trapped men. Jose Henriquez, 55, formed and led a prayer group while trapped and had friends send 33 small Bibles down the tiny supply hole. Chilean reports say that in January he helped save several miners who had passed out in the mine, apparently due to gas, and had to be rescued himself when he was overcome returning for another miner. Married with twin daughters, he has spent 33 years in the mines and survived a landslide on the surface in 1986.
12:35am: Carlos Bugueno, 26, rescued 23rd
He found himself trapped alongside a childhood friend, Pedro Cortez. A passionate soccer fan, he asked to have game broadcasts piped below. Relatives said the former security guard went to work at the mine to earn money for a car and house.
12:15am: 22 miners rescued so far
Samuel Avalos, 43, becomes the 22nd miner to reach the surface, almost 18 hours after the rescue operation began.
11:30pm: 21st miner rescued
Yonni Barrios, 50, played nurse to his comrades in the mine. He emerged from the mine to the welcome of his mistress, but not his wife.
11pm: 20th lucky man in Chile
Dario Segovia, 48, is a lifelong miner whose father first took him underground at age 8. Twice married, he had three children from each marriage. He had worked at the mine for three months, drilling holes for dynamite. He has 12 brothers and sisters.
10: 40pm: Obama hails Chile mine rescue as inspiration
US President Barack Obama on Wednesday hailed the ongoing rescue of Chile's trapped miners as an inspiration to the world.
"I want to express the hopes of the American people that the miners who are still trapped underground will be returned home safely as soon as possible," Obama said in the White House Rose Garden as rescue efforts continued in northern Chile.
Obama was among millions around the world watching on television on Tuesday night when the first of 33 miners were hoisted to the surface after a two-month ordeal.
Nineteen had been rescued by the time Obama, speaking at a White House event about US college loan programs, started his comments by paying homage to the rescue operation.
10:30pm: 19th miner is safely out
Pablo Rojas, 45, one of three cousins among the 33 men, is the 19th miner to be rescued.
9:50pm: Esteban Rojas is 18th miner to surface
Rojas, 44, sent a letter to his wife of 25 years asking her to renew their marriage vows, when he got trapped.
8:40pm: 17th of the Chilean miners rescued
Omar Reygadas, clutching a Bible, became the 17th man to return safely to the surface.
Reygadas, 56, fell to his knees, hoisting his Bible above his head, after stepping from the rescue capsule which brought him up from the depths of the mine which collapsed on August 5.
He helped organise life below ground and reportedly survived other collapses in the mine. A widower, he has six children, 14 grandchildren and and four great-grandchildren, including one born while he was trapped.
7:50pm: 16th miner rescued
Daniel Herrera, 27, was a truck driver and taxi driver. Herrera is single. His mother and sister have been waiting for him at Camp Hope.
7:15pm: The "writer" is the 15th rescued
Victor Antonio Segovia Rojas, 48, the "writer," who kept a journal of the ordeal, is the 15th miner to be rescued.
Segovia, 48, who is married and an electrician, emerged from the rocket-like rescue capsule wearing dark glasses to ward his eyes against the glare of the desert sun.
6.40pm: 14th Chilean miner Víctor Zamora, out
Víctor Zamora,33, carrier pigeon handler and poet, is rescued
6.25pm: Carlos Barrios, 27, comes out
5.30pm 12th miner Edison Pena emerges
Edison pena, 34, is an Elvis Presley fan, and he asked for Elvis music to be sent into the mine so the trapped workers could have singalongs
4.50pm 11th miner Jorge Galleguillos comes out
Jorge Galleguillos comes from a large family with about a dozen brothers. Galleguillos was said to be taking medication for hypertension.
4.25pm: Tenth miner pulled safely from Chile mine
The 10th of 33 miners trapped underground in Chile for ten weeks arrived safely at the surface Wednesday.
Alex Vega Salazar came out of the dank, dark underground cavern to the bright lights of international media attention after some 70 days.
The miner embraced his wife as he emerged from the capsule that has been lifting the men one by one in a resuce effort that was expected to take about two days.
As with the other men, Vega's return from more than 600 meters (2,000 feet) below ground represented a new record and an amazing feat of human endurance against all odds.
3.20pm: Oldest Chilean miner reaches surface safely
The oldest member in the group of trapped miners in Chile became the ninth to emerge safely Wednesday, despite fears for his health after almost 10 weeks underground.
Mario Gomez, 63, was brought to the surface at 7:58 am (2.58UAE time) in a steel capsule after being fitted with a special mask to combat his breathing problems.
He waved to the crowd and held aloft a Chilean flag signalling his triumphant exit.
Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich earlier voiced concern for the miner's wellbeing during the more than 600-metre (2,000-feet) journey to the surface, but said he had "confidence that all dangers have been foreseen and things will go very well."
Gomez, as the oldest member, was seen as the spiritual leader of the group and was nicknamed "The Navigator" by the other 32 miners because of his background as a merchant seaman.
3.00pm: Claudio Yanez, is the eigth miner to be rescued
His longtime girlfriend proposed while he was trapped underground. He said yes.
2.28pm: Jose Ojeda, 46 reaches surface
Ojeda was on medication for diabetes but appeared healthy when he emerged.
When the last man surfaces, it promises to end a national crisis that began when 700,000 tons of rock collapsed Aug. 5, sealing the men in the lower reaches of the mine.
12.55pm: Sixth miner reaches the surface
Osmán Araya, 30, embraces his wife Angelica and thanks the rescue team. He is then taken for medical examination.
12:05pm: Sixth miner prepares to surface
Osman Araya gets ready to surface. He will be the sixth miner to be rescued. Meanwhile, Mario Sepulveda, the second miner to be rescued, praised the rescue teams in a television interview.
11:30am: Chile mine rescue 'without comparison'
The rescue operation to free 33 miners after 10 weeks trapped underground is "without comparison in the history of humanity," Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said Wednesday.
"Never before has such a rescue been attempted," said Pinera. "The lesson of miners remains with us forever."
Audio: Dr Annie Crooks talks about the impact on the rescued Chilean miners
The group has shown, like victims of the deadly February earthquake that shook the central portion of the country, "that when Chile unites in the face of adversity, it can achieve great things," he added.
Through the miners, he said the entire country has learned "the value of faith and of hope, the value of comradeship and solidarity."
Their rescue marked the culmination of a record-breaking two-month drama, during which the 33 men awaited rescue at the bottom of the dark, dank mine with the world captivated by their daily hopes and fears.
11:11am: Youngest miner emerges from the mine
Nineteen-year-old Jimmy Sanchez reaches the surface. He has worked as a miner for five months. Hours before the rescue, he had written a letter in which he talked about hsi fears and anxieties. Read Jimmy's letter
10:35am: Fifth miner prepares to make ascent
The capsule carrying miner Jimmy Sanchez is lifted up. Sanchez will be the fifth man to be brought out to the surface.
10:34am: Miners' families overwhelmed with emotion
"I am so overwhelmed with emotion because it's been so long since we have seen him," said Alfonso, the father of Florencio Avalos, the first miner to reach the surface. "I am so content, so happy. Thank God that he emerged so strong," Alfonso told state television channel TVN.
Families embraced and threw confetti at the mine site where they have camped for more than two months to await the rescue of the men. They had lit fires to fend off the cold. Police erected barricades to protect the families from hundreds of reporters.
"I'm so happy; it's historic," said Lily Ramirez, wife of 63-year-old Mario Gomez, the oldest miner. "My husband is still down there. I just hope they all get out okay."
10:14am: Fourth miner reaches the surface
The crowd keeps vigil at the San Jose mine site as the fourth miner, Carlos Mamani, reaches the surface.
9:58am: Fourth miner is lifted up the surface
Rescue efforts continue to bring to the surface the rest of the miners trapped underground. The fourth miner, Carlos Mamani, is being lifted to the surface
Watch AP Video: First trapped miner's freedom turns worry into joy
9:08am Third miner reaches the surface
Cheers on the ground as the capsule carrying Juan Illanes reaches the surface. He is greeted by the Chilean president and other officials as he steps out, and like the three others before him, he is led to the hospital for check up.
8:45am: Third miner on his way to the surface
Juan Illanes on his way to the surface. Cheers from the crowd as they anticipate his arrival.
8:09am: Second Chile miner reaches surface
With an incredible burst of energy and a keen sense of humour, Mario Sepúlveda, the second miner to be pulled up to the surface, without a doubt stole the show during the rescue operation.
His animated shouts could be heard while he was still inside the capsule and being pulled up, which brought smiles for everyone waiting for him on the ground.
Once he left the capsule – almost one hour after his colleague Florencio Ávalos – he asked, as if nothing had happened, “How are you all doing?” to the rescue team and the authorities, who were certainly more nervous than he was.
He then went on to kiss his wife and from a bag he handed out stones which he had taken from inside the mine to government officials.
He hugged President Sebastián Piñera effusively several times, while the Minister of Mining, Laurence Golborne, told him “You’re a good boss.”
But the performance of the comical miner did not end there, as he then ran up to a fence to greet some of his friends and yelled out, “Ceacheí,” a patriotic slogan, to his work colleagues.
In pictures: Follow the Chile miners rescue mission
Interactive: See how the Chile miners will be rescued
7:55am Second miner makes ascent
Second miner, Mario Sepulveda, makes slow but steady ascent to the surface. He was the group's official spokesman during the 69-day ordeal.
7:45am: Paramedic reaches the miners
The paramedic has reached the miners and is preparing the second miner, Mario Sepulveda, for his ascent to the surface.
7:35am: Chilean president pleased with rescue efforts
In a press conference at the site, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera thanks everyone for contributing to the rescue effort, especially the engineers. "Today, October 13 is a magic number.. We hope this day will become an example to the world," Pinera said, referring to the rescue effort. He said there must be respect for the work force.
As he spoke, a paramedic was being lowered down to the remaining miners, while the next miner to be rescued will be lifted up in the capsule as soon as it reaches undergound.
Engineers said the final stage of the rescue still has its risks but that the capsule is handling well in the shaft, and they expected a smooth extraction. Each man's journey to safety should take about 15 minutes. The capsule travels at about 1 metre per second, or a casual walking pace.
The miners can communicate with rescue teams via an intercom in the capsule.
They have been told to keep their eyes closed and will be given dark glasses to avoid damaging their eyesight after spending so long in a dimly lit tunnel. They will then be under observation at a nearby hospital for two days.
7:11am: First Chile miner reaches the surface
Florencio Ávalos, 31, and father of two, became the first of the 33 miners to be rescued from the bottom of the San José mine minutes after midnight in Chile on Wednesday. Everybody at the site cheered, cried and hugged each other and President Sebastian Pinera was among those celebrating at the site.
The miner got out of the Phoenix 2 capsule that brought him up to the surface, and hugged his crying son Byron, and embraced his wife Monica and his daughter. Wearing a red helmet and dark sunglasses, the miner was received with applause and afterwards received a hug from Piñera, who was waiting on the surface with First Lady Cecilia Morel.
Avalos was trapped along with his brother, Renan, and was apparently picked to take the tough journey first because he is in good physical shape and has plenty of mining experience. He looked healthy and in good condition, even though a medical team immediately transported him off on a stretcher to hospital away from the San José mine.
After the rescue, Wilson Ávalos, the uncle of the miner, said they were “very pleased with this victory, and know that he is now in good hands.” He also stressed that the government “did their job with sensitivity and calmness.”
Florencio's father, Alfonso Ávalos, said that he was proud that his son was chosen to be the first one to leave the mine.
As a result of the media frenzy following Florencio's rescue, a tent that was supposed to be used for rescued miners to share a few moments with their family was destroyed. Florencio and his family were then moved to another place.
6:58am: First Chile miner starts ascent in capsule
Florencio Avalos - the first of 33 workers trapped for more than two months in a Chilean mine - began his ascent toward the surface on Tuesday in a specially-made capsule.
6:36am: First rescuer reaches miners
The 33 miners hugged and celebrated as Manuel Rodriguez, a mining rescue expert with Chile's state copper company Codelco, emerged from the capsule. It took him 17 minutes to descend the near half-mile shaft.
He is the first human being the miners have met in 69 days. Other rescuers will join Rodriguez to help prepare the miners for their journey to safety after 10 weeks trapped a half-mile underground.
6:10am: Rescuer is being lowered down to the ground
A rescue worker is being lowered down to the 33 trapped miners after good luck wishes from Chile’s president. Manuel Rodriguez, a mining rescue expert with Chile's state copper company Codelco, is the first one down the shaft. Other rescuers will join him to help prepare 33 trapped miners for their journey to safety after 69 days trapped a half-mile underground.
President Sebastian Pinera wished him good luck and urged him to bring the miners up in good shape. Then they closed him inside the capsule (along with canisters of oxygen to treat anyone with a panic attack) and Pinera grinned and made the sign of the cross as the capsule disappeared below.
5:55am: Obama sends thoughts and prayers
US President Barack Obama has sent his thoughts and prayers to the "brave miners" in Chile who have waited more than two months for their rescue. The rescue operation at the San Jose mine in northern Chile is ongoing and three miners have been rescued so far. "While that rescue is far from over and difficult work remains, we pray that by Gods grace, the miners will be able to emerge safely and return to their families soon," Obama said in a statement.
5:50am: Last man to get out named
Officials say the last man out is expected to be Luis Urzua. One miner is expected to be rescued each hour. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama says his thoughts and prayers go out to miners
5:24am: Rescue capsule is lowered
The custom-made capsule that will carry the miners is lowered down the escape shaft as engineers at the site look on. Two rescue capsules will be used in the operation, according to media reports.
4:50am: Rescue efforts start
The Chilean President Sebastian Piñera has confirmed that the first miner to be rescued is Florencio Avalos, 31-year-old father of two. The rescue efforts have started as declared earlier at 20.00 hours in Chile (3am UAE time).
He will be followed by Mario Sepulveda, 39, an electrical specialist, and then by Carlos Mamani, 23, the only Bolivian in the group, newswires reported. Avalos’s family said they were extremely happy that their relative would be the first to exit the mine, but also said Florencio would have to leave behind his brother, Renan Avalos, among the others to be hauled up later.
Pinera is already at the scene, ready to welcome Florencio Avalos and those following him. Bolivian President Evo Morales, expected to arrive late Tuesday, will greet Mamani when he was brought up.
Florencio Avalos is an athletic man, who loves playing football with his two children, aged seven and 17. The older son came with his wife, Monica, and he adopted him when he married her. The younger one is the couple's biological child. Renan, 29, did not figure among the first few to pulled up. His limited medical experience has turned him into the miners' "doctor."
4:30am: Festive air as thousands await return of Chile miners
At least 2,000 people have crowded Camp Hope to witness the historic rescue. Clowns have been enlisted to entertain the miners' children. Police beefed up their ranks to deal with the crowds and put in place what they said was an impregnable barrier to prevent the arrival of gawkers.
The blaring of a siren, and a pulsating light were to announce the arrival of each miner at the surface, signaling to waiting medical teams to be on the alert.
3:28am: Rescue efforts tp begin at 5am UAE time
Chile's mining minister says a paramedic will begin descending to start the rescue of 33 trapped miners by about 10pm (5am UAE time) - two hours later than what President Sebastian Pinera had announced.
Mining Minister Laurence Golborne says that's because cables and equipment need to be attached to the capsule that will carry the men. Then it will be lowered with a rescue worker inside, then raised again, and only when everything is ready will the paramedic go down to prepare the men below. And only then can the first miner be pulled to safety.
3:23am: US mine safety expert says effort unprecedented
A US mine safety expert says Chile has done a remarkable job of preparing to rescue 33 miners trapped a half-mile underground, but many risks remain simply because never before has anyone tried to rescue miners from such depths.
Davitt McAteer, who led the US Mine Safety and Health Administration during the Clinton administration, laid out the risks in an Associated Press interview: A miner could get claustrophobic and do something that damages the capsule. Or a rock could fall and wedge it in the shaft. Or the cable could get hung up. Or the rig that pulls the cable could overheat.
"It's not an elevator shaft. It's got twists and turns and that can cause problems with the cable," McAteer told the AP by telephone. "We're talking about 2,000 feet (deep) and it's uncharted territory."
3:05am: Chile's Senate votes to approve Mining Royalty Bill
Chile's Senate approved a government proposal to raise taxes for mining companies including BHP Billiton Ltd. and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
Lawmakers voted 26 in favor and one against, while three abstained, according to images transmitted by the Senate television channel. The lower house must vote on the revised bill before it becomes law.
The changes would raise about $1 billion over three years to help fund earthquake reconstruction and President Sebastian Pinera's education and health programs, Finance Minister Felipe Larrain said in an October 6 statement.
3am: Chile leader tells mom her son will be first out
The man tentatively chosen to be first out of the mine where 33 men have been trapped for more than two months is a shy father of two who was caught along with his brother when the mine collapsed.
Maria Silva said President Sebastian Pinera himself told her that her son Florencio Avalos was first on the list to come out. Avalos, 31, is married and has two children.
Avalos had been the second in command of the group before the collapse, assisting his friend Luis Urzua. But friends describe him as shy. After the men were found and cameras sent down, he often acted as cameraman, taking pictures of the other miners.
"I am not surprised" that he was chosen, his mother said after word reached the family. "I am so proud of him."
Leonardo Nuñez's reportage translated by Mariam Al Serkal, Staff Reporter.
With input from agencies
