Voice of Chile's trapped miners brings relief to families on surface

[Mistress Stowastiq]

Very intrigued about the methods that will be used to define the social structure of the miner's group. I understand Nasa will be offering help. I wonder when/if they plan to tell the miners that it can take until December to get them out.

In their conversations with rescuers, each of the men reported feeling hungry but well, except for one who had a stomach problem. Despite the hardships for 33 men living an underground existence in a bunker the size of a small apartment, humour has not abandoned the men: asked what they needed, the men listed canned peaches, toothbrushes and a chela – slang for a cold beer.

With a grapefruit-sized radius of a hole/pipe used for now, I am curious if they can give them internet access or if it is even safe to do so. Love the beer and peaches request. I say video games/porn and some kind of micro computer would be good for entertainment down there, but who knows what kind of mental influence that would create. Anthropologists and Psychologists must be all over this. Urzua (foreman) is a serious badass.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010...trapped-miners

* Jonathan Franklin in Santiago and Paul Lewis
* The Guardian, Wednesday 25 August 2010

Voice of Chile's trapped miners brings relief to families on surface
Psychologists 'happily surprised' by condition of miners after 19 days on shift foreman's strict rationing in underground bunker


The words of Luis Urzúa came over a crackling line but were uttered with the professional calm of a man in control: "Shift foreman speaking."

The 54-year-old has become the leader of 33 men trapped deep underground in a Chilean mine for the last 19 days and, for a few dramatic moments late on Monday night, he was their interlocutor with the world.

The first audio contact with the men, who are expected to have to remain 670m (2,200ft) underground in the San José mine for another four months before they can be rescued, was initiated by the country's minister for mining, Laurence Golborne. He assured the trapped miners that a rescue team was working on their release, before asking the obvious question: "How are you?"

"We're good," replied Urzúa. "Waiting to be rescued." The foreman was drowned out as his trapped colleagues applauded, cheered and, in a spontaneous outburst that brought tears to the eyes of those on the surface, sang Chile's national anthem.

Golborne told the men that water was being sent in "doves", the nickname given to the 5ft-long capsules being used to deliver supples to the men through the single borehole that has penetrated down to their shelter.

"Look, we've been drinking a bit of water," Urzúa interjected. "But we haven't eaten much lately, just the food that we have in the shelter."
That was an understatement: under Urzúa's strict regime, which includes work shifts and safety procedures, the men have survived almost three weeks on rations of just two small spoonfuls of tuna, a sip of milk and a biscuit every 48 hours.

Urzúa worked for years as the coach of a local football club, an experience that psychologists now cite as key in his ability to lead and motivate the 33 miners.

"We are happily surprised because they are in much better shape than we could have hoped for," said Alberto Iturra, the leading psychologist on the rescue team. "We were expecting to find a much more distressed group, without the ability to reason, with slow reactions and limited hearing and eyesight."

The men have already been trapped underground longer than all but a few miners rescued in recent history.

Last year, three miners trapped in a flooded mine in southern China survived for 25 days, and in 1983 two miners in north-eastern China were rescued after 23 days. Few other rescues have taken more than two weeks.

Officials remain concerned about the mental health of the miners over the months to come, and have discussed sending them antidepressants or allowing them to talk to psychologists to keep their spirits up.

Rescue teams sent down oxygen after the miners suggested there was not enough air in the stretches of the mine beneath the collapsed main shaft. They also began to drop in letters from family members and loved ones.

"Can you imagine? After 30 years of marriage we will start sending each other love letters again," said Lilianett Ramírez, whose 63-year-old husband, Mario Gómez, is among those trapped. She was first to send a letter down to her husband yesterday. "I told him to be very patient, that we're all camped out here, following his every heartbeat. That he shouldn't become desperate, and that he try to be extremely tranquil," she said.

Engineers have already worked to reinforce the borehole using a long hose to coat its walls with a metallic gel to decrease the risk of rockfalls. The lubricant also makes it easier to deliver the capsules, the first of which held rehydration tablets and a high-energy glucose gel to help the miners' digestive systems. It took an hour for the packages to reach the trapped men.

The Chilean government faces enormous logistical challenges in drilling new boreholes to provide supplies to the men and, eventually, pull them out. Rescue efforts advanced considerably yesterday as a third borehole was on the verge of breaking through to the miners, and a huge machine arrived to carve out a tunnel just wide enough for the miners to be pulled out one by one. That machine will not begin drilling for several days.

Andres Sougarret, leading the rescue effort, estimated that it would take three to four months to pull the men out. But Davitt McAteer, a former assistant secretary of the US Mine Safety and Health Administration, called that "perhaps the most conservative model".

Health officials are seeking advice from Nasa on how the 33 miners can remain sane and healthy while rescue efforts continue. According to officials at the health ministry, conditions in the underground chamber are similar to those faced by submarine crews or astronauts.

In their conversations with rescuers, each of the men reported feeling hungry but well, except for one who had a stomach problem. Despite the hardships for 33 men living an underground existence in a bunker the size of a small apartment, humour has not abandoned the men: asked what they needed, the men listed canned peaches, toothbrushes and a chela – slang for a cold beer.

Golborne sought to keep up the men's spirits, informing them that "the whole country" had erupted in celebrations after contact was made with them.

At one stage, Urzúa asked what had happened to a group of colleagues who had been at the mouth of the mine at the time of the collapse on 5 August.

Golborne's answer – that there had not been a single fatality as a result of the accident – prompted another round of excited cheers.

More info from dailymail uk
"So how will the Chilean miners survive for three months half a mile underground?"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...derground.html

"Chileans turn to NASA for help in keeping 33 miners alive and well during rescue attempt which is expected to last for months"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...ue-months.html

Pic illustrating mine shaft and details from first dailymail.co.uk article
Image property of dailymail.co.uk

Spoiler: show

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/a...49_468x898.jpg

[Chun Liroy]

If they can send shit down there, why the fuck is it going to take 4 months to free them.

[Vajra]

Can you imagine it man, 90 degree heat mineshaft, with body excrements everywhere...They should send a radio down there, w/ some card or board games, maybe PSP, nintendo DS, portable DVD player (for porn ), and a Bible or some other books to read . Seriously though can you imagine, how are they going to bathe, and get rid of bodily wastes lol?

[OWS_Tonx]

food isn't as big as a human leroy
I'm thinking a few people may get murdered because they'll go crazy being stuck down there

[Atreides]

we always imagine the worst will happen in horrible situations like this because they usually do in movies/tv, but when it comes down to survival it seems like a lot of people don't get as panicky as we'd think they do. I think depression/suicide is the real danger, not murder.

[zoobernut]

Do you really think it will be that hard for guys who have spent almost their entire lives working in that mine anyway?

I think as long as they have food, water, and fresh air it might not be that hard for them to keep occupied. It sounded like in the article that they had room to move around in the tunnels and they were going to resume working if they were strong enough shoring up the tunnel to prevent further collapse.

Either that or they could just pass down some stuff to keep them busy like a couple packs of cards and reading material. Also a light source...

[Vajra]

Imagine if someone has really smelly farts though, someone might get mad, if another person's farts are really smelly, and then murder them one of the days down there.

[Sepukku]

Can you imagine it man, 90 degree heat mineshaft, with body excrements everywhere...They should send a radio down there, w/ some card or board games, maybe PSP, nintendo DS, portable DVD player (for porn ), and a Bible or some other books to read . Seriously though can you imagine, how are they going to bathe, and get rid of bodily wastes lol?

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/4918/minerescure.jpg

This is my understanding of what a mine emergency shelter is. Its an elevated area above and away from where the water is. Obviously its not like a ledge they jump for, but its often a ramp going up along the side of a ramp going down so the water flows away deeper into the mines. Therefore, walk to the waterside of the ramp, go piss/shit.

[Gadritan]

and a Bible

"Wtf is this shit? We said COLD BEER."

[OWS_Tonx]

Think about it though, 4 months stuck there day and night with the same people, and god forbid one of them is a dickhead. I'd kill some bitches. the idea of depression and even suicide is real too, probably more realistic than one of them twisting off killing the others, especially if he knew people would be rescuing them soon-ish.

[Wulfgang]

After four months down there, they may not even want to come out. Unbelievable though, good luck friends.

[Kerberoz]

Sounds like the start of Penumbra:Overture.

[Mistress Stowastiq]

Can you imagine it man, 90 degree heat mineshaft, with body excrements everywhere...They should send a radio down there, w/ some card or board games, maybe PSP, nintendo DS, portable DVD player (for porn ), and a Bible or some other books to read . Seriously though can you imagine, how are they going to bathe, and get rid of bodily wastes lol?

They mentioned that it would be one of the hardest obstacles, managing waste. I imagine they will have to put it in tube shaped capsules and ship it up via a suspension system.

The hole should get bigger as they figure out how to safely excavate without cave in. They are using this metallic gel on the walls to keep them stable. Their foreman is really in charge and responsible for them being in such good shape.

[Gadritan]

The hole should get bigger as they figure out how to safely excavate without cave in.

They're fucking miners.

[Mistress Stowastiq]

Pic illustrating the mine shaft with details.. from Daily Uk article

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...derground.html


Image property of Dailymail.co.uk

Spoiler: show

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/a...49_468x898.jpg

@Gadritan yep miners, I was answering his/her question regarding the send tube. /poke :D

[Atreides]

god something about this really bothers me, like I find the idea of being buried alive/going underground to be horrifying. I went caving once or twice in summer camp and thinking back I have no idea how I did it, there were parts where you had to squeeze/crawl through rocks and even go underwater. Being stuck that far underground in the dark for months just sends chills down my spine

[OWS_Tonx]

Saw on the news this morning that they just told them how long it would take and are starting to give them antidepression medication. I agree, being buried alive would be horrible. Being in their position is terrible, too.

[Omniyoji]

They had a small segment last night on Maddow's show. She stated that the company in charge of the mine hasn't been talking much cause they're somewhat responsible for what's currently happening. ~2 years ago an incident happened and some workers were killed. They were suppose to install an emergency escape route but they haven't. If they would have, all of this would've been over in less than 48 hours...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908...show/#38858726

[Mistress Stowastiq]

This vid of the miners and their space made me cry so bad lol. It is nice to see they have lots of space and are not cramped in there. The dude driving the forklift under there was surprising.

AP :Video Tour of Trapped Chilean Miners Refuge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3moxr_E7aA


NASA interview on what assistance they are giving to the miners rescue.

NASAtelevision: Interview about NASA assistance to trapped miners in Chile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3aH4VQ-TDQ

[tyven]

YAY RESCUE