Rescued miners reveal details about confinement
A note, written in red and recovered on August 22, filled a nation with hope.
"We are fine in the shelter, the 33 of us," the note, attached to a probe by miners trapped inside the San Jose mine, said. It was the first evidence found that they were alive.
On Wednesday, the last of the 33 miners was rescued, marking the end of a harrowing 69 days.
With the rescue, new details are emerging from the miners about their experiences in captivity. Among the revelations is that the famous proof of life note was not the only note that the miners wanted to send to the surface.
Luis Urzua, the shift foreman and last miner out, recounted for Chilean President Pinera the exciting moment when the probe reached the miners for the first time.
"We had a protocol for when it arrived, but everyone nearly forgot it," Urzua said. "Everyone wanted to hug the hammer (on the probe)."
Some of the miners wanted to send notes to the surface such as "Send me some potatoes," "I'm hungry," and many messages to family members on the surface.
These potential notes reflect what some miners have described as the hardest times, the first part of their ordeal. At the time that the probe reached the miners, they had survived for 17 days by sharing small amounts of tuna and mackerel that were in the shelter. At that point, they were eating only once every 48 hours.
They didn't know when their next real meal would come. They didn't know when they would see their loved ones again.
In the end, their training kicked in and they sent the now-famous note.
Even during the difficult times, Urzua said that "we had hope that some day we would be rescued."
Another miner, Mario Sepulveda, said Wednesday that he emerged from his confinement a changed man.
"I was with God, and I was with the devil. They fought, and God won," he said.
Sepulveda has advice for those who take undue risks in their lives.
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