Almost everyone know's about the Chilean miners trapped in the San Jose mine, in northern Chile.
Since the 5th of August 2010 (2 days after my birthday, and I did not know) they have been 622 meters underground in the gold and copper mine. It was about 30 degrees C down there!
17 days after the mine collapsed, the miners attached a message to a probe, telling the world they were alive.
After spending 69 days down there, they have been rescued.On Wednesday 31 of October they sent down the rescue capsule.....one hour later the first miner, 31-year-old Florencio Avalos, was lifted out. Second came Mario Sepulveda, 39.
The miners who were rescued are:
1. Florencio Avalos Silva, 31, video operator for the underground miner communications.
2. Mario Sepulveda Espinace, 39, the "journalist" commentator who moderated the video broadcasts.
3. Juan Illanes Palma, 52, served in Chilean army.
4. Carlos Mamani Solis, 23, of Bolivia, the only non-Chilean trapped.
5. Renan Avalos Silva, 29, brother of Florencio Avalos.
6. Mario Gomez Heredia, 63, the oldest of the group who sent the first report to the surface that they were alive.
7. Jimmy Sanchez Lagues, 19, the youngest.
8. Ariel Ticona Yanez, 29, became a father during the ordeal. His daughter was named Esperanza, for Hope.
9. Edison Pena Villarroel, 34, ran 10 kilometres every day in the underground mine shafts.
10. Víctor Zamora Bugueno, 33, wrote poetry underground.
11. Raul Bustos Ibanez, 40, survived the Chilean earthquake earlier this year, which destroyed his job as a mechanic. Found new job at mine, where he thought he would find more peace.
12. Claudio Yanez Lagos, 34, promised he will marry his partner of 25 years and mother of his children when he emerges. The pair have grandchildren.
13. Víctor Segovia Rojas, 48, kept a journal in the underground.
14. Jorge Galleguillos Orellana, 56, suffers high blood pressure and is one of the complicated medical cases.
15. Jose Henriquez Gonzalez, 54. The number 33 is his fate: married for 33 years, working at the mine for 33 years, and one of the 33 trapped men.
16. Samuel Avalos Acuna, 43, had been a street seller of wares and had hoped for a better life in the mine.
17. Claudio Acuna Cortes, 34, football fan who plans to greet his wife wearing his team's shirt.
18. Franklin Lobos Ramirez, 53, avid football player who received greetings from Spain's David Villa.
19. Osman Araya Araya, 30, experienced a nervous collapse underground.
20. Yonni Barrios Rojas, 50, played nurse to his comrades in the mine.
21. Alex Vega Salazar, 31 , his father is an emergency doctor and changed his name in order to help in the rescue. Family members were not supposed to be part of the rescue team.
22. Richard Villarroel Godoy, 27
23. Daniel Herrera Campos, 27
24. José Ojeda Vidal, 46
25. Luis Urzúa Iribarren, 54
26. Carlos Barrios Contreras, 27
27. Omar Reygada Rojas, 56
28. Juan Carlos Aguilar Gaete, 49
29. Carlos Bugueño Alfaro, 27
30. Pedro Cortés Contreras, 25
31. Pablo Rojas Villacorta, 45
32. Darío Segovia Rojo, 48
33. Esteban Rojas Carrizo, 44
I was amazed when I saw the miners wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night! It was so exciting watching each miner coming out.
