Now for some amazingly good news:
After more than two excruciating months, the anticipated rescue of the 33 Chilean miners trapped in a collapsed mine is down to a matter of hours.
Government officials said Tuesday that rescue workers had made quicker progress than expected, and that the complicated rescue operation could begin as early as 6 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Eastern time), as much as six hours earlier than previously estimated.
“The day has finally arrived,” said Marta Mesías, 51, the aunt of one the miners, Claudio Yáñez, 34. She said she had traveled here from the capital, Santiago, to greet Mr. Yáñez when he emerges from under the earth. “We’re going to toast him with champagne, and feed him a bit of roasted chicken.”
A reason to be proud to be an American- special NASA diet food to keep the team alive, as well as an American drill team who dug them out.
Basilisc
I hope each of them has fully paid his get-out-of-the-mine fee. Or else our Judeo-Christian ethics would require us to leave them down there.
Bulworth
Two months. And still alive. Unbelievable. I can’t imagine the stress experienced by the miners and their families.
Nick
Let’s do a thought experiment…imagine if this had happened in the U.S., imagine the all-too-predictable responses from the usual idiots that control our discourse…take it away Balloon Juicers.
fasteddie9318
Lucky for them they were in a mine in a developed country like Chile that values its workers. If they’d have gotten trapped in a mine in some third-world backwater of a country like the US, Rand Paul would have been screaming about the power of the invisible handjob as those guys slowly starved to death.
Barb (formerly gex)
It is great that we were able to help. But in some quarters we are deciding that “clean coal” is the way, so there’s that.
HyperIon
Maybe we should wait until someone actually is rescued before we leap into celebration/analysis. It should only be a few more hours.
Ella in New Mexico
See? This just goes to show that government intruding into the lives of business is an unnecessary burden on freedom. These guys lived, after all, we just needed to give their company 2 months to get them out.
JPL
It’s going to take at least 33 hours to get them out. That doesn’t sound like a long time after being in the mine for 68 days but the last hours are going to be the toughest.
Don’t tell the southern baptist, but they have been working on their breathing and yoga to reduce the stress.
themann1086
“Congratulations, and let me be the first to say, Get back to work!” Colbert last night :D
WyldPirate
I blame Barack Hussein Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid , The Democratic Party and all of their boot-licking apologists here at Balloon Juice for the Chilean mine collapse and the delay in getting the poor bastards out.
Rick Massimo
Good thing this didn’t happen in New Jersey. Evidently, they can’t be bothered to dig tunnels there.
WaterGirl
@HyperIon: I am really holding my breath for the trapped miners and their families. I think the anxiety level would have to shoot up now that the possible rescue is at hand. I truly hope nothing goes wrong. They would either have to drug me or knock me out for me to be able to spend 20 minutes in that tiny capsule as it winds its way up in an enclosed space.
I keep thinking about the first guy to go up and what it would be like to be the last guy to get out. I am haunted by these miners in a way that is reminiscent of how I felt on/after september 11.
Corner Stone
Why is Google Ads showing me a picture of an 8 year old girl in suspenders with the caption “LOVES TO LIE”?
What on this green earth is that selling?
ETA – FSM DAMN YOU, BING AD!
kommrade reproductive vigor
@HyperIon: Seconded.
I hope they’re given plenty of time to readjust before the press latches on to them.
WaterGirl
@kommrade reproductive vigor: Not to mention well-intentioned family members, like the aunt who plans to toast her miner with champagne and roasted chicken when he comes out. Champagne and roasted chicken. Seriously?
someguy
Well I’ll be damned.
I didn’t know peppers grew underground, much less that people made a living as specialized Chili miners. That doesn’t make it any less of a tragedy that we can’t grow these things underground like we useta before Bush deregulated the mining industry and let all the Chili mining jobs go abroad. But it’s still nice that these Chili miners will be able to go home to their families tonight after being stuck in the mine for so long. I bet that all they want after that ordeal is a long chug of Maalox.
Montysano
As someone with serious claustrophobia, this is a horror show: 2 months trapped underground, followed by a 30 minute ride, in a tiny rescue capsule/coffin, through 2,000 feet of rock.
These must be some tough SOBs.
Linda Featheringill
@someguy:
You are so, so bad!
Citizen_X
@Corner Stone: Mine says “STOP SOC1AL1SM” under the girl. And it’s an ad for the Daniel Ellsburg doc!
Earl Butz
@WaterGirl: Apparently they’ve been squabbling over the honor of being the last guy out. For real.
I’m so claustrophobic that if someone offered to shoot me through the mine wall with a cannon to get out, I’d fight to be the first, even though it would mean my certain death.
Brachiator
@fasteddie9318:
I didn’t know until a recent NY Times story that many of the miners are Bolivian, and that this incident has led to some unexpected co-operation between Bolivia and Chile (Mine Saga in Chile Captivates Bolivians).
It is also noteworthy that in some Chilean newspapers, one of the miners is referred to as “The Bolivian” or “The immigrant.”
Still, the amount of co-operation and intelligent involvement of various people and organizations has been amazing. And NASA hasn’t just offered advice, they have been using this situation to add to their knowledge about humans in stressful confined circumstances.
Some of the extraction planning has been magnificent. Little things: providing dark glasses and warm clothing (it’s hot in the mines but cold above and the miners haven’t seen daylight for 70 plus days). And the solidarity of the miners themselves has been outstanding.
Man, I hope this turns out well for everyone.
Irony Abounds
@Earl Butz:
Ditto on the claustrophobia. I can only sit in aisle seats on airplanes these days or else I get major anxiety attacks. It’s not fear of anything going wrong, that part of flying bothers me not a bit. I just don’t like feeling hemmed in.
Svensker
Michelle Malkin says that this just shows you what a bastard Obama is, because he isn’t celebrating right now. Wish I were kidding.
El Cid
The rescue is planned to begin at 8 pm in Chile, or 7 pm EDT.
The Dangerman
@Svensker:
What a stupid bitch; this isn’t over until the last miner and rescuer are out of the hole.
Of course, after it IS over, and Obama DOES say something, it will be too little, too late…
…or done because of Conservative (Malkin) pressure.
I’m so tired of their shit.
Comrade Mary
Read this.
I don’t know how it will affect you, but I lost it at the picture of the Chilean president holding up … well, you’ll see.
El Cid
For those interested in watching it live, particularly Spanish speakers, I do know it’s streaming live on Telesur. I’m sure on a bunch of other channels online and probably on live TV too.
West of the Cascades
I was born in Chile (of US parents) and am proud to be an American of Chilean birth because of what John points to and how everyone in Chile has pulled together on this. The national mood, with this rescue and the almost miraculously low loss of life in the February 2010 earthquake (8.8, felt at “destructive” level – or worse – by over 3,000,000 people, with 521 fatalities), has to be incredible.
One thing that I’m struck by is how few comparisons people are making between this situation and the Shackleton expedition in 1914-1915 (huh?? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shackleton%27s_Expedition) — boat crushed in ice, 28 men trapped, and unbelievable leadership (like Luis Urzua, the shift chief who did all, and I mean ALL, the right things to keep the 33 miners alive and focused on getting out from the very beginning), leading to all the men surviving. Not only is there a parallel between Urzua’s leadership and Shackleton’s, but it was a Chilean navy ship (the Yelcho) that ultimately rescued 22 of Shackleton’s men who were stranded on Elephant Island.
Judas Escargot
A reason to be proud to be an American- special NASA diet food to keep the team alive, as well as an American drill team who dug them out.
Pity we dont seem able to be half as useful to ourselves, anymore.
quaint irene
Hearing about the successful break through of the drill into the miner’s chamber, and news that they’d be starting to bring them up in a few days time, part of me thought, “I smell TV movie of the week!”
And no, I’m not being snarky or cynical. One report even said some of the miners are talking about book of movie deals. And why the hell not? Going through this ordeal , I think they’re more than owed. (Not even taking into account what little miners get paid.)
Same report mentioned that the first man up would be decided by the medics. The last up? That definitely was undecided. Quite a few of the men are insisting they want to be the one to hold the record of longest underground.
El Cid
BBC News is streaming live on-scene from the mine. It will still be a few hours from now before it begins, but it’s good coverage if you want to take a look.
El Cid
@Judas Escargot: We should have sent down that asshole West Virginia mine owner. Not to help, but to be thrown down the mine once all the trapped miners are rescued.
El Cid
@Brachiator: The one Bolivian (the only non-Chilean) among the miners will be picked up upon exiting the mine by Bolivian President Evo Morales.
Tim
@Corner Stone:
@Citizen_X:
It is actually an ad for a lobbying/awareness thing by Health Care for America Now that is apparently anti-US Chamber of Commerce $$ in elections. Features a video with Jack Black, and Emmy(R) Award-winning actress America Ferrera, TV’s “Ugly Betty.” I didn’t actually watch it so I’m not sure of whether lulz are provided
Brachiator
Watching the rescue mission on one of the local Spanish language tv stations (ch 52). Amazing stuff.