They planed a stunning human drama playing out of a half mile below the earth surface. Where, right now, there are 33 men buried alive. They have been down there for 3 weeks. Ever since a cave-in at the mine where they make a living digging for gold and copper. And for 17 days, they wer presumed dead. But on Sunday, came the first molecular signs of life. And now, thanks to a rescue probe, they are getting air, nourishment and passing messages. But bringing them back into the light could take three months. Jeffry Kofman has the latest from the mountains of Chile. Again today, the families were lighting candles and saying prayer for the 33 husband, fathers and sons. They have not seen for three weeks. This makes shift community at the gates of the mine overthrows with shrines and signs honoring the miners trapped half a mile below the surface here. Today we learned those men have been told the sobering news that getting them out is not going to be easy or fast. For the first time, we talked to them yesterday about the time frame that is involved in this rescue operation. That as you may know, is 3-months period. 90 days beginning from now. This woman’s husband Raul is one of those miners. She waited for 17 days to find out if he was alive. She is undeterred. Yes, I can wait here for months. She says. The miners can survive, too. They are strong. I came here to bring my husband home. She sent a letter down to her husband. He wrote back. You know that the word that you sent me made me cry. Well, I don’t know how to tell you that they are always with me. God left us alive by a miracle and with a purpose. This kind of pain is much easier to tolerate. She says, Than the pain of not knowing. It’s terrible. She remembers “like the whole world has toppled down on top of you. I cried a lot. I know this is not the first time it’s happened. But when touches you, it is different. The mine collapsed on August 5th. Immediately in this country that has some of the biggest mines in the world, teams of engineers and experts searched for signs of life. Seven times they drilled holes to areas where they thought the miners might be sheltered. An eighth attempt was made early Sunday. This was the Geolgist supervising that eighth operation. At 6 am Sunday we realized there was a sound. He said. We stopped work. We heard them hitting the metal cylinder. He knew the sound would be made by people. It was a very emotional moment. It took four hours to extract the drill pipe. When the drill head came to the surface, the crowd was astonished to see a small bag attached. Inside were two notes. The men could not contain their joy. Chile’s president had bee alerted and arrived moments later to break the news to the world. “We are fine inside the shelter.” Read one of the notes. “33 of us”. Spontaneously, a celebration exploded. First among the families keeping vigil at the mine site. And then, as word spread across the country. A world cup victory or Olympic gold has nothing on news like this. Now, the hard work, getting the men out. This huge portable rock drill normally used to make ventilation shafts, has been brought in to drill 26 inch wide, half a mile long hole down to the men. When it is completed, they’ll be raised up one at a time. This is the main entrance of the mine. Lawrence is the minister of mines in Chile. How will the men keep their sanity? How they will keep their spirit? Up if they have to wait 4 months to be raised? Well, I think it’s even worse what they have done in this 17 days. You know, they have been there, 33 people, with no good conditions. They are strong men. They’re going to be very well cared in this month. To do that, for 3 months or more, the government is setting up an elaborate infrastructure to support the men in what they have become a psychological experiment, testing group dynamics and survival in a confined space. Glucose water, medicine, letters and a few luxury rips, playing cards, and games, are being settled down through the 6-inch contact hole to ease the grim condition below, where the men were starving to death. They are living in the refuge where they took shelter and in joint to mine tunnels. The heat close to 90 degrees the humidity more than 90%. More contact homes are made. Conditions should be improved in ?. Until the rescue hole reaches the men. If men, they’ll have to encore a captivity beyond comprehension to most of the world outside. This woman has no doubt her husband Mario can survive. He’s been a miner for more than half a century. He began when he was 12. That frame holds the letter he sent her. Dear Lila, it begins. I am OK. Thank god. I hope to get out soon. Patience and faith. Those 33 flags billowing on the hillside by the mean are a constant reminder of the 33 men trapped inside. The have been found, but they have not been rescued. Not yet. I’m Jeffrey Kofman for “nightline” in Chile.
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