The Chilean Miners

[Betty Boop]

Great news, the drill has reached the chamber where the miners have been trapped for 65 days. Although the danger is far from over,(apparently there has to be a controlled explosion) the spirits of the miners and their families must be lifted, I hope for a good outcome for them all. What a story! :greengrin

[Woody1985]

Yep, it's reaching squeaky bum time. There's still a long way to go but hopefully they all get out safely.

[Coco Bryce]

'Okay lads, let's all remember this for next week. What happened in the mine, stays in the mine, right!'

:greengrin

[DH1875]

Really hope they make it and good luck to them all.

[Ritchie]

I'd hate to be the last man down there!!!! :paranoid:

[IWasThere2016]

Good luck to them - I hope they all get home to their loved ones safe and well.

I hate the thought of being underground - mining/pot-holing give me the fear tbh - it would be a bl88dy nightmare for me!

[DH1875]

I hate the thought of being underground - mining/pot-holing give me the fear tbh - it would be a bl88dy nightmare for me!

You ever watch CSI? Hate the Miami one but the Vegas one used to be quite good. Any how there was one episode when one of the cops gets kidnapped and is buried alive in a coffin. It's wired with a web cam so the other cops are watchin as he runs out of time before the ransom is met. Got to say it freaked me out no end and I felt worse watching that than I've ever felt watching horror movies or anything.

[Woody1985]

That's the one directed by QT. I paid twelve quid for it when it came out and it was like any other episode.

[DH1875]

That's the one directed by QT. I paid twelve quid for it when it came out and it was like any other episode.

£12 for one episode :confused:. That's what I'm saying, wasn't scary and even by CSI standards wasn't that graphic or bloody. Just the whole being buried alive thing really messed with my head.

[Woody1985]

It was billed as a special edition thing on dvd as it was tarantino that directed it. Then the ****s put it on the telly!

[Hibbie_Cameron]

Here we go!!

Manuel Gonzalez, a rescuer is just about to lowered down the shaft. What a brave human being.

Lets pray everything goes well

[Betty Boop]

Here we go!!

Manuel Gonzalez, a rescuer is just about to lowered down the shaft. What a brave human being.

Lets pray everything goes well

I'm watching, everything crossed for the rescuers, miners and their families. My heart is in my mouth, here's hoping! :thumbsup:

[Hibbie_Cameron]

I'm watching, everything crossed for the rescuers, miners and their families. My heart is in my mouth, here's hoping! :thumbsup:

Its gripping yet strangely exciting. I was planning on heading straight to bed after returning from Hampden but im anxious to see the first miner return

[Hibbie_Cameron]

I cant believe what im seeing here. Unbelievable pictures

[Hibbie_Cameron]

1st man saved:thumbsup:

[Calvin]

What a story. Fantastic coverage on the BBC too.

[HibeeMG]

Got to admit to a lump in the throat when the first miner was hugging his little girl and his Mrs.

Good effort all round.

[Betty Boop]

Fantastic scenes and so emotional. The capsule looks to be taking a battering already though, with huge scrapes down the sides. How claustrophobic would you feel in that capsule? Brave men indeed, the miners and the rescue workers.

[Lucius Apuleius]

Absolutely wonderful. As you say though BB, I would certainly not like to be in that capsule!!!!

[heretoday]

The second guy who came up was all showbiz! He gave his wife a rather offhand hug and kiss I thought and headed for El Presidente who received several embraces!

They're very nationalistic the Chileans. Flags everywhere. I can't imagine an equivalent British mine situation being quite so jingoistic, not that we have many mines left thanks to Mrs Thatcher.

The miners and their families would be straight onto lawyers, agents etc to get the maximum deal going!

[hibsbollah]

Excellent photo-opportunism from El Presidente, right in there and bathing in the reflected glory of the miners. A bit bile-inducing, but you can't argue with his political instincts.

[haagsehibby]

Good luck to them - I hope they all get home to their loved ones safe and well.

As my mate said, it was particularly heartwarming to see their wives and mistresses waiting for them. :greengrin

[hibbytam]

Excellent photo-opportunism from El Presidente, right in there and bathing in the reflected glory of the miners. A bit bile-inducing, but you can't argue with his political instincts.

To be fair, he seems to have been ontop of this from the start. He will obviously benefit politically, because so far it has been a very successful operation, but I think to claim he's only looking to benefit himself is perhaps overly cynical. I mean he's been there, talked close to all the families,

It's an awe inspiring feat, and as far as I know completely unique. It was also good to wake up to an inspiring story this morning, as opposed to the usual negative rubbish everyday.

[Riordans Boots]

Every time another one is rescued - I start greetin :boo hoo:

So emotional for them and their families :agree:

[Removed]

As my mate said, it was particularly heartwarming to see their wives and mistresses waiting for them. :greengrin

:greengrin

At the same time :faf:

Yonni Barrios :rockin:

[IWasThere2016]

You ever watch CSI? Hate the Miami one but the Vegas one used to be quite good. Any how there was one episode when one of the cops gets kidnapped and is buried alive in a coffin. It's wired with a web cam so the other cops are watchin as he runs out of time before the ransom is met. Got to say it freaked me out no end and I felt worse watching that than I've ever felt watching horror movies or anything.

That would have me boaking up!!!

[steve75]

That's them all out safe and well!

well chuffed for them.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I thought Bin Laden might have appeared out the capsule at some point!

[BroxburnHibee]

Inspirational stuff - of course the politicians came out well of this - they will be questioned about the safety record in the coming months though.

I imagine there will be at least 33 book deals signed in the coming weeks :greengrin

Oh aye and the inevitable movie :aok:

[Dalkeith]

Don't think any of us could start to imagine what it was like in first 17 days before they were found so good luck to them all and i hope they grab all the limelight and money that they can.

[Betty Boop]

Wonderful outcome, and a real feel good story, at a time when people are losing their jobs, facing financial hardship, we are fighting pointless wars, the list goes on....... :greengrin

[hibsbollah]

Inspirational stuff - of course the politicians came out well of this - they will be questioned about the safety record in the coming months though.

I imagine there will be at least 33 book deals signed in the coming weeks :greengrin

Oh aye and the inevitable movie :aok:

There was an experienced mining engineer on the radio yesterday who was saying what they did (drilling 700 metres down to an exact point in the strata rock) was totally unprecedented in civil engineering (the closest example was a 200metre drill to rescue some american miners a few years back) and was pretty close to a miracle.

I'd rather the civil engineers got some of the limelight than El Presidente.

[lyonhibs]

I hope the mining company gets absolutely rinsed in the court - the men should never have been down there in the first place.

If it wasn't for the ingenuity of the civil engineers, we could be looking at a scandalous human tragedy.

Great story though - when was the last time we had a bona fida good news story on the front pages??? Seriously, I can't remember :confused:

[--------]

To be fair, he seems to have been on top of this from the start. He will obviously benefit politically, because so far it has been a very successful operation, but I think to claim he's only looking to benefit himself is perhaps overly cynical. I mean he's been there, talked close to all the families,

It's an awe inspiring feat, and as far as I know completely unique. It was also good to wake up to an inspiring story this morning, as opposed to the usual negative rubbish everyday.


:agree: He's been involved from the beginning, when there was a real chance it could all go horribly wrong.

His political advisers warned him not to get involved as a failure to rescue the men would destroy him politically, but he ignored their advice and he's been around pretty much all through.

We've got acclimatised to a political establishment in this country as insincere as it is cynical, though even here I suspect we're more cynical about our politicians than is fair to them. I watched a documentary about the rescue of 7 Russian sailors from a small submarine off Petropavlovsk in Siberia a couple of nights ago. It was a Royal Navy operation, with assistance from the USN. (The Yanks helped us unload our gear from the aircraft. :wink:)

John Reid and Tony Blair were involved in opening doors for RAF and RN people to get into the place to set up the rescue; it would be easy to assume they were doing it for the political kudos, but they were clearly both concerned for the men in danger and mightily pleased when everything came out OK. I'm sure there were political and diplomatic calculations going on, but there is a human element too. And I would say also a real sense of pride and achievement that the men had been saved by the efforts and expertise of the Royal Navy.

Sebastian Pinero has been there for the miners and the families from the start, and he's been closely involved in and identified with the rescue, which has been spectacularly successful. It could have been a highly public disaster, though.

To some extent he may be milking the situation, but when you think how long it's gone on, and how it might have turned out, maybe he's entitled?