Miners are back home

[whitesatinmopar]

Don't know about the rest of you but the last couple days I've looked in on the rescue of the 33 Chilian miners. Nearly 70 days trapped about a half mile underground and they all came out alive. In fact none appeared to have any serious issues physically that they didn't have before reporting for work the day the roof fall blocked their escape. They looked good, and were seemingly emotionally OK. Personally the nations president is tops, he was on site around the clock and he didn't make a political stature about himself, he appeared humbled and 100% present because he cared about those countrymen. I realize him being there had little to do with the actual rescue efforts and nothing to do with political savoy in running a country, but I'd vote for the man..........he was there, he cared. During such rescue efforts in this country any politicians who make a "drive by" appearance are likely to blame the other party for what has happened 

Did anyone catch the story of how 2 of the men were sparred death. They were driving through that section on mine some piece of equipment when they saw a white butterfly fluttering around, a half mile underground no less. They stopped to look at it, when they started up again they saw rocks starting to fall from the mile roof ahead. Stopping to look at that little butterfly is what had saved their lives, otherwise the distance they would have traveled had they not stopped would have put them under that section of roof.

One miner did get himself in trouble however, when the government began to contact family members telling them they would allow three family members present as the men were brought to the surface,........................his wife, and his mistress both showed up. 

So much to this story, it will certainly be made into a movie. There have already been offers of serious money to these men for one time interviews. Their lives will never be the same, hopefully they will not allow themselves to be changed into creatures of the media world.

[Aussie Challenger]

I did see the first 2 miners and the last 2 miners come up live here in Australia, only about 5 second delay, amazing and from down inside the mine as well. I agree about their President, he had a compassionate look on his face, a camera caught him praying quietly when he thought he was alone. I heard that story about the butterflies and have heard similar stories involving butterflies when a person could be close to death and how their life was spared because they were distracted by them.      
I know that our Prime Minister would have turned up with a pack of news reporters, claimed credit for the whole rescue and then disappeared, very shallow bunch we seem to have now, never done an honest days work so have no idea what it is to get their hands dirty and make an honest wage.   
On the news I saw pic's of others coming up, at least one dropped to his knees and prayed, there were several reports about miners re committing their lives to Jesus.   
Apparently that miner with a wife & girlfriend had been separated from his wife for some time and asked that his girlfriend meet him when he came up.
When they did the first tests the door opened and was damaged, they bashed it into place, when the first rescue official entered the capsule they had trouble with the door again, later with more trouble I saw that they roped it shut, if it came open halfway up/down there would have been a few problems.
There was mention about a number of miners that die every week in mines and China got upset because they have a lot of problems in their mines, one comment said that when their miners are rescued the miner has to grovel to his rescuers as if it really was the miners fault.   

[brads70]

It was a great story! It was so nice to hear something positive from the media! Seems like every time I turn on the TV it's doom and gloom!

[dodj]

I liked seeing the  and  on the hillside by the rescue site along side the Chilean flag. Helping out when times are tough or dire is important.

[Topcat]

Heard that all the miners agreed to split any money made equally among all 33. 

[whitesatinmopar]

Heard that all the miners agreed to split any money made equally among all 33. 

That dosen't surprise me, those men became brothers down there, it was a great story of how humanity should be    However I suspect not all will be easy street for them, somehow the "sharks" will be circling and business and banks who they had delt with will be like buzzards overhead. I'm sure the mine company never sent any "income" to those families those 69 days. The money they get from these proposed deals will be down the road and those families I'm sure still have immediate needs. And they are probably now jobless since that mine will be closed, it had quite a few safty citations in the past. 

[Aussie Challenger]

It was reported today that they were in darkness for at least 10 days and some talked about cannibalism, not a good subject but....
A London newspaper has reportedly spoken to at least one miner but the others are not saying much, I hope they can hold out and get a packet out of the buzzards as the mine company is reportedly broke. The government are supposed to be covering the rescue hole with concrete.