After 69 Long Days, All 33 Miners Are Finally Rescued.

On August 5th, 2010, 33 Chilean miners were trapped in a mine in Copiapo, Chile after it had collapsed on top of them. They were stuck in a small room about 625 meters underground (almost half a mile) and survived by eating two spoonfuls of tuna, half a cookie and half of a glass of milk every 48 hours. Once they were discovered, officials sent lights down so when they were rescued the light wouldn't be such a dramatic change. They were also supplied with hydration gels, medication, and food supplies. After 69 longs days, each of the 33 miners were slowly pulled out one by one through a capsule called Phoenix 2 that's about 2 feet wide and could take up to an hour to pull out each individual. Individuals were required to wear sweaters while being pulled up due to the dramatic temperature changes of 90 degrees to nearly freezing. They were also required to sunglasses so they could adjust to sudden bursts of light. Each miner that was freed was greeted by their family, journalists, photographers, and the Chilean president Sebastian Pinera. Once all the trapped miners were freed, President Sebastian Pinera placed a metal cap on top of the rescue hole one Thursday morning to mark the end of a risky rescue operation.