Trapped miners in Chile

[Nin]

I was surprised that noone seemed to take interest in both: the fate of those trapped miners and the mediatic treatment of this extraordinary story.

To remind a few of the facts: 33 chilenian miners are trapped 700 meters under ground since the 5th of August. After an initial time without contact, they were found and now get supplies and contact through a very small tunnel. Their rescue could still take months - november and december have been advanced as possible rescue dates.

Images of the miners apparently rather well humoured and in not too bad health conditions were shown for the first time on the 1st of september. But of course, it is not clear in how far those images are cut or used for propaganda purposes to reassure the public opinion in Chile and world-wide.

I wonder strongly how such a drama will affect the miners psychologically in short and long run and also how their lives will be changed - Film rights must already be negociated and if anybody should takea inthe long run advantage of this situation, it should be the miners themselves and I fear that they will not be the ones getting any of the mediatic outfall.

Maybe the situation appeals particularly to me because I have lived for ten years in a city where coal mines were closing one after the other - but the collective memory of being a miner and what it means was still very strong and well as the collective pride.

Also, it is a question in how far such a human drama can be used or abused by the media and if this media treatment helps or harms the miners and their families.

[Griffon64]

I have followed the news on this and have been hoping that the miners will all be rescued safely. I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to be trapped so far from the surface and in such a small space. I don't know that mentally I would be able to make it, in fact!

I hope that they are not taken advantage of in any way ( though of course, that is likely to be a futile hope in today's world where brief entertainment is the thing to go after ) and that all reporting about their plight are done in a factual, not sensationalist, way. So far, I haven't really read any news reports that wasn't done in a factual way, apart maybe from one on Yahoo focusing on how the miners better stay slim or else they won't fit though the escape tunnel, which is reported to be 26 inches in diameter, the size of a typical bicycle tire.

From reports I read it sounds as if the Chilean authorities are well-organized and handling the rescue effort well. I have also read reports that this particular mine did not have a stellar safety record, or the money to handle the rescue, which is done by the Chilean government instead.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I too have been following the story, though I don't have much to say about it. It is interesting that NASA has been engaged as a consultant to help deal with the stress of a group of people confined together over a long period of time. The idea terrifies me!

[Dave_LF]

That's the worst part. I think I'd rather be confined alone.

[ToshoftheWuffingas]

Come now, messageboard life isn't that bad.

[ToshoftheWuffingas]

But to be more serious, how much do we realise how the media control what we think and know? In this case there is only one source of news. The Gulf oil spill had areas that were forbidden to the press. The trouble is the only people who could educate the public on press manipulation is the press.

[Primula Baggins]

So they are being brought to the surface now: one so far, but all is going smoothly.

We're watching in our hotel room while packing to go home. The miners are all preparing to go up, putting on clothes, etc. (they're all in shorts, it's hot down there).

It is a truly wonderful thing; the first miner's reunion with his family brought us to tears. But as they cut back to the rest of the miners getting dressed, Mr. Prim commented that after all there are standards. As he said pompously, "No shoes, no shirt, no surface."

I did hit him. This is truly a wonderful thing.

[Túrin Turambar]

Apparently #2 is on his way up now. I understand they're using some sort of capsule.

[River]

I did hit him.

Good. I about shrieked in agony when I read that.

I hope this goes smoothly, but I think it will. Incredible.

[WampusCat]

This has been an amazing story of resilience. Everything I have read about the miners' ordeal has raised my opinion of humanity. And it's such a relief to have a successful rescue.

[Frelga]

Apparently it's much warmer down there than on the surface.

I'm so glad this rescue is going well. Those men were on my mind all day. Really an extraordinary story.

[Teremia]

Number 4 just got to the surface! So amazing that these men could hold out this long, and that this incredible rescue could be made possible.

What Wampus said: so nice to have a good story about human beings, for a change.

[Griffon64]

I've been following the story all day yesterday, too. I looked at photos of the capsule with a rescuer in it and, wow. Claustrophobic!

I'm very glad that they are having success rescuing those miners. I've been thinking about it a lot.

Stay away from the comments on the CNN story, though. That feel-good buzz about humanity won't last a minute - people can be jerks in any context. :|

[Inanna]

Staying away from all comments.

WSJ last week had a very nice article about two of the miners from the same town in Chile. One is married, and has been spending up poems for his wife. He is now dubbed the official poet for the group. The other guy from the same town is a "ladies' man" (as described a family member) and has been sending letters to multiple women on the surface.

[River]

I read somewhere that there's been at least one case of an affair coming to light - a wife and a mistress both claiming the same miner. I also read that it was the first week of work for one of the miners (the Bolivian, maybe)...can you imagine?

It sounds like these were a bunch of regular guys who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances. It's incredible and wonderful they held together for so long. The first 17 days were especially impressive. They had 48 hours worth of supplies in that refuge and somehow their foreman managed to keep them organized and compliant enough that they survived to make contact with the outside world. Since then, it's been engineering and tenacity.

[Nin]

It seems that five of the wives actually found out about mistresses in that situation and that the youngest (19 years old) was on his first week of work, but I am not sure about this.

There will be many stories coming up and I am sure at least one movie - I just hope that the miners themselves are not exploited.

[Frelga]

It's such a geeky story, too, in a way. Not very much to debate. While there is a bit of a media circus going on - well, why not, it's a big story! - the situation was approached in an engineer's way, for the most part. OK, here's the problem, how can we solve it in the shortest possible time. Looks like it worked.

[vison]

There is a lot I could say, but I will refrain. I didn't follow this story as the very thought of those men being trapped like that made me almost literally sick.

I'm going to be glad when they're all safe above ground.

[JewelSong]

I have been following this story from the beginning and watched last night as they hoisted the first miner to safety. I also listened to NPR on the way home tonight and they credit the senior foreman, Luis Urzua, with keeping the men alive and sane for those first 17 days when no one even knew if they were alive. His leadership and the men's faith in him was extraordinary. He will be the last out of the mine.

Apparently, the men have already consulted with lawyers about different aspects of the media.

I find the entire episode a testament to the human spirit and ingenuity. And it sure is good to have some uplifting news!

[ToshoftheWuffingas]

I saw the last man coming out at 2 am UK time. That was the foreman? What silent heroes walk among us unknown.