Stuck in a 50m2 mining shelter for 3 months? No?

[weemadando]

I can only imagine what the initial thoughts of a lot of the NASA psychs were when they heard about it. I'm guessing it was very much along the lines of "well, that medical ethics committee can kiss our collective arses now!"

[Broomstick]

CNN is reporting that the drill making the rescue shaft has broken through to where the miners are. There is still work to be done before they can be extracted safely, but this is a major milestones.

[Alyeska]

Rescue operations expected to start on Wednesday. They are sending in two medics first to determine the final rescue order and make sure everyone is in good condition. Those guys are almost home.

AP article via Yahoo News

Excerpt
SAN JOSE MINE, Chile – Chile's mining minister said Saturday night that the 33 miners trapped for more than two months will probably be pulled out starting Wednesday.

That's because the rescue team has decided to reinforce less than 315 feet (96 meters) of the rescue shaft in steel pipe.

The rest of the escape shaft is exposed rock, and the rescue team has decided it's strong enough to provide for a smooth ride for the miners' escape capsule.

Mining Minister Laurence Golborne set the date after the shaft was inspected with a video camera Saturday following the completion of the hole earlier in the day — a success that set off celebrations by the miners underground and by their families and rescue workers on the surface.
End Excerpt

[Isolder74]

In another article i've read, I can't find it now, i read that none of the miners actually want to be the first one to leave. Seems that none of them want to be the only survivor if the escape system doesn't work for more then a full rescue. They might end up drawing straws to see who goes first.

[Broomstick]

Yeah, escape system issues... I hope nothing bad happens that leaves the medics stranded down there with the miners, meaning even more people trapped underground...

(...stay positive...stay positive...stay positive...stay positive...stay positive...stay positive...stay positive...)

[CaptainChewbacca]

Thing is, the first one to leave has to be strong and smart, in case something goes wrong with the first retreival and they need to fix something in the cage.

[weemadando]

Well apparently the big argument has been who gets to be the last one out in order to have the bragging rights.

[Broomstick]

The miners are coming up, one an hour. It looks like we get a happy ending from this.

I hope the men are able to take advantage of book and interview offers to the extent they never have to go back into a mine ever again (unless, of course, they really want to).

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

The miners are coming up, one an hour. It looks like we get a happy ending from this.

I hope the men are able to take advantage of book and interview offers to the extent they never have to go back into a mine ever again (unless, of course, they really want to).

As I understand it (from listening to a story on NPR,) one of the things they did while they were down there was to make a pact that no one miner would benefit more from their story than the others . . . to the extent that they've requested a lawyer to make it a legally binding contract for them to sign as they get up to the surface. This was done with the express hope that they'd all be set up to never have to go into a mine ever again.

[Alyeska]

The rescue operation seems to be going very smoothly. The time to raise each miner is taking slightly less than 30 minutes. 12 have already been pulled to the surface.

[Braedley]

The count's up to 15 now. So glad these men are finally going to be able to go home.

[Alyeska]

According to Wikipedia there are now 5 rescue personal inside the mine with the survivors. Hope everything is going OK.

[Broomstick]

I hope everything runs smoothly until everyone is safe on the surface again. Not only is this rescue taking place much sooner than originally anticipated, but it is also going well. What an epic adventure.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I believe they somehow managed to shave 5 minutes off the ascent time, they're really getting them out in a hurry, its great.

[Broomstick]

They might not have used maximum speed at first, concerned that something might go wrong. With experience and no problems they might have felt more comfortable going faster.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Well they're all up and out now! A job well done by all, I can't wait for the movie.

[Darth Ruinus]

This is pretty great, all 33 were rescued. I heard a few of them are suffering some sort of depression and 2 might have pneumonia, but hopefully they get the help they need.

[kouchpotato]

According to the ticker, this is the longest anyone has lasted underground. Fucking awesome that they all made it out, now they just need to get those five rescue workers out and it'll be ay-okay.

[Isolder74]

Just as long as they get them out too. That would be sad that they get stuck now just after getting so much done.

[Alyeska]

A 6th rescue worker was sent into the mine, and now every miner (all 33) and all 6 rescue workers have been pulled out. Its done. Those men were saved.