The 33 trapped Chilean miners have all been rescued after about 69 days underground. Their story is truly amazing. For the first 17 days they had no contact with those on the surface, and did not know if any rescue operations were taking place. Yet they still rationed their food, maintained order, and kept hope alive that they would be rescued. Chile and other countries, including the US, worked together to bring all of these men out alive. It shows that one of the strongest human emotions is hope, even against all odds. These men and their families will now need to readjust to life, and they still face many psychological and emotional hardships. Let’s hope they stay strong. Here are some pictures, released from the Chilean government:
In this photo released by the Chilean Presidential Press Office, the last miner to be rescued, Luis Urzua, gestures as Chile's President Sebastian Pinera, right, looks on. (AP Photo/Chilean Government, Hugo Infante)
In this photo released by the Chilean government, miner Carlos Barrios waves to the crowd while emerging from the capsule that brought him to the surface. Barrios is the thirteenth of 33 miners who was rescued after more than 2 months trapped underground. (AP Photo/Hugo Infante, Chilean government). My mom told me that this capsule was built by NASA. I also heard that NASA psychologists that specialize in working with people living in small spaces (like on a spaceship) went to Chile to help.
In this photo released by the Government of Chile, miner Daniel Herrera Campos embraces his mother after being rescued. Herrera was the sixteenth of 33 miners. (AP Photo/Hugo Infante, Government of Chile)
I think this was one of the first miners to emerge. And no, they're not wearing sunglasses to be cool, after being in the dark for 69 days their eyes are now unaccustomed to the light. The miners were also given sweatshirts to put on before coming up because the temperature in the mine was about 90F and it was significantly cooler above ground.