Luis Urzua, the last man freed from the mine
Relatives and friends of the miners celebrate the end of the successful rescue operation
Rescuers inside the mine hold a sign that reads “Mission Complete” after all 33 miners surfaced
THEY waited 69 days for a rescue that took nearly 24 hours to complete, but finally all 33 of Chile’s trapped miners are free.
The last miner to take the 20-minute, cramped ride to safety was shift supervisor Luis Alberto Urzua Irribarren, who made it to the surface shortly before noon (AEDT).
About two-and-a-half hours later, the final rescue worker emerged safely at the surface.
Rescuers at ground level sang a chant of “one more miner” as the metal cage carrying Mr Urzua made its 600m journey to them. A cheer went up when the safety siren – meant to alert medical crews to be on standby for another patient – sounded to show he was 100m away from the top.
“We’re waiting for you,” they shouted to him as he was just metres away. Mr Urzua was the group’s foreman credited with keeping the men mentally fit during their subterranean anguish, especially the first 17 days after the August 5 cave-in when no one knew they were still alive.
Rescuers and relatives erupted in joy when he stepped out of the cage.
“We have done what the entire world was waiting for,” he told Chilean President Sebastian Pinera immediately after his rescue.
“The 70 days that we fought so hard were not in vain. We had strength, we had spirit, we wanted to fight, we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing.”
The President told him: “You are not the same, and the country is not the same after this. You were an inspiration. Go hug your wife and your daughter”.
Mr Pinera led a “Viva Chile” and a rendition of the national anthem to mark the completion of the rescue.
Mr Urzua had insisted on being the last man out. Mr Pinera also thanked the paramedics and engineers who had made the rescue such a success – no-one else has survived so long underground.
24 hours
The operation began at about 1pm yesterday, with the release of Florencio Alavos. It continued through the night and next day, Chile time, with another 31 men brought to reunions with the families before they were whisked away to hospital for a full check-up.
The men received heroes’ welcomes from the thousands present. Well, for the most part.
The 21st miner to be freed, Yonni Barrios, is the man whose wife and mistress stumbled upon each other at one of the vigils held at the height of the drama.
After he made it to the surface, he embraced a woman identified as his girlfriend, Susan Valenzuela, as cameras crowded around. His wife, Martina Salinas, was not there, according to reports from the scene.
She had said in the lead-up to the rescue operation that she wished him well in his underground ordeal, but would not be present for a media circus when he made it back. Both women have been quoted elsewhere as saying they would fight for him.
Mr Barrios has been nicknamed “the doctor” after he used his first aid training to help his mates during their time below.
Rescue
The rescue went at a faster pace at the end than at the start. But each man’s rescue was still treated as the first, for the sake of the relatives present and also for their safety. The metal capsule was checked periodically to ensure it had not been irrevocably damaged.
Mario Sepulveda, 40, the second miner to be saved said: “I have been with God and with the devil”, summing up his ordeal and miraculous salvation. “I seized the hand of God, it was the best hand. I always knew God would get us out of there,” he said.
“I have changed, I am a different man,” said Mario Gomez, the ninth to be rescued and, at 63, the oldest of the group.
The 25th man freed was Renan Alavos, brother of Florencio.
A star-crossed lover became the 18th man to taste fresh air. Esteban Rojas, 44, who had proposed to his longtime girlfriend with a written letter while he was underground, got on his knees in front of his soon-to-be wife after emerging from the capsule.
Words of congratulation poured in from presidents Barack Obama of the United States, Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, as well as Pope Benedict XVI and other dignitaries.
Mr Sepulveda, the second rescued, quickly became a media darling for his energetic appearance that earned him the nickname Super Mario. He produced rocks from the bottom of the mine as gifts to laughing officials and relatives before leading them in a celebratory football song.
Mr Gomez, who stepped out wearing a breathing mask to combat chronic breathing difficulties, said he had been through a life-changing experience. “Often something has to happen to you before you stop and think and understand that you only have one life, and then you think what you have to change,” he told Mr Pinera, whom he thanked profusely.
“Welcome to life”
Others following included the only non-Chilean in the group, Bolivian miner Carlos Mamani, 23, who was greeted by Bolivian President Evo Morales at the surface. Also brought to the top was the youngest of the miners, Jimmy Sanchez, 19.
“Welcome to life,” Mr Pinera told Jorge Galleguillos, 56, who was the 11th man hoisted to safety. “Thank you for believing that we were alive,” Mr Galleguillos replied.
All the men appeared pale, but most looked to be in good health, and all wore special dark sunglasses to protect their weakened eyes from the natural light.
Most emerged clean-shaven. Crews had lowered packages dubbed “palomas,” Spanish for carrier pigeons, to get food and medicine to the men during their weeks underground, and in the days before rescue they were sent razors and shaving cream.
They were taken to a field hospital at the mine, and several were then flown to a regional hospital in the nearest town of Copiapo, where two floors were reserved for their convalescence.
Mental scars
While they seemed fit, psychiatrists warned the mental scars could last a long time. Chile’s government has vowed at least six months of psychiatric help.
The rescue is the climax of a two-month old drama to keep the men alive, during which their every action and thought captivated their nation.
Before they were discovered, they had survived on meagre rations in an underground shelter and a trickle of water. Officials quickly set up narrow holes to supply them with food, water, communications, oxygen and entertainment as three drills began to bore rescue shafts.
Last weekend, one of those drills completed its shaft, well ahead of the Christmas deadline officials had originally feared would be needed.
“I’ll die a miner”
Around 2000 journalists from around the world had turned up at the mine to cover the unprecedented rescue.
The miners themselves hope the worldwide attention will turn their ordeal into an opportunity to make lucrative sponsorship and movie deals so they can live comfortably for their rest of their lives – and never have to enter a mine again.
Mr Sepulveda’s performance exiting from the shaft appeared to confirm what many Chileans thought when they saw his engaging performances in videos sent up from below – that he could have a future as a TV personality.
“The only thing I’ll ask of you is that you don’t treat me as an artist or a journalist, but as a miner,” he said. “I was born a miner and I’ll die a miner.”
Raul Bustos had only started working at the San Jose mine after he lost his builder’s business during Chile’s big earthquake earlier this year. The 40-year-old emerged to an emotional reunion with his wife Carola Narvaez.
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