Heroism of the Chilean Miners!

[Natalie Severn]

It was very moving to see each of these brave men reaching the surface,happy and smiling after their long ordeal trapped since early August half a mile below the surface of the earth.The whole rescue operation is a sensational testament to how kind and good human beings can be to each other at their best---brave, loyal, strong, caring with a real sense of comradeship ,as well as the resourcefulness that enabled them to be winched to the surface in that tiny capsule.
I was really made up over it----Fantastic!
Norma

[Abby Normal]

It was very moving to see each of these brave men reaching the surface,happy and smiling after their long ordeal trapped since early August half a mile below the surface of the earth.The whole rescue operation is a sensational testament to how kind and good human beings can be to each other at their best---brave, loyal, strong, caring with a real sense of comradeship ,as well as the resourcefulness that enabled them to be winched to the surface in that tiny capsule.
I was really made up over it----Fantastic!
Norma

Yes-good stuff. gives one hope.

[Natalie Severn]

Yes-good stuff. gives one hope.

Perhaps Lennon was right when he wrote ---"All You Need is Love!

[Robert]

I didn't watch all the heart-warming pics (a bit slushy for me) but I was very pleased that the whole thing worked and that these people were rescued. And no sign of Jeff Tracey either!

When I saw one of the miners come up in his little capsule, I did wonder what would have happened if the door of the cage got stuck.

[Graham]

Because the miners' employer, the San Esteban Mining Company, is now bankrupt, it is doubtful if the miners will be paid for the time they spent underground. The rescue itself was carried out by a company owned by the Government of Chile. However, no doubt all the miners will very quickly become celebs, so why should they care? Meanwhile the largest employer in the region has effectively ceased to trade!

It's an ill wind, etc., etc.

Graham

[Robert]

That's what they were saying on the news - the comradeship they forged might be lost in the scramble of celebrity.

I wonder if any of them were already keeping a log :

"Day Four. I kept the men's spirits up with a singsong and a game of I Spy. They're all suicidal and would undoubtedly go under without my steadying hand."

[Natalie Severn]

That's what they were saying on the news - the comradeship they forged might be lost in the scramble of celebrity.

Perhaps Robert,and the media ought to know a lot about that!
But for me these were ordinary, poor, hardworking people doing dangerous work underground- what they endured was nightmarish and they dealt with it with a comradeship and heroism that was tremendous.
Cheers,
Norma

[Robert]

Precisely, Nats.

[Natalie Severn]

All 33 Miners Rescued!

Wonderful News for once! ----and a big cheer for all those involved in the rescue too!

[Adam Went]

The point shouldn't be lost that this is excellent for Chile as well. Their country isn't generally regarded as being one of the nicest and they have been ravaged by natural disasters, but the whole world has really united behind them in this and it can only be a good thing for the country - something excellent has come out of something that could have been much more disasterous. Good on them, I say, and yes, very brave miners indeed.

Unfortunately mining accidents are all too common though. It wasn't long ago at all that we had two miners trapped for quite a while down here as well, Todd Russell and Brant Webb....they got rescued and were actually on TV commenting on the Chile miners the other day....

Cheers,
Adam.

[caz]

I feel sorry for the two canaries. According to my daughter, they are still down there saying: "Could someone please bring us our millet?"

[Limehouse]

This whole story is a most wonderful tribute to human determination and skill. The reunion scenes were truly heart-warming. I found myself offering a prayer of thanks for the conclusion of these events.

However - I do feel for the poor woman who discovered her husband had had a mistress for ten years.

[Robert]

Limehouse : eh??? Not down the mine, surely?

Caz, don't worry about the canaries. The latest heart-warming development : THREE canaries were winched to safety.

[Natalie Severn]

This whole story is a most wonderful tribute to human determination and skill. The reunion scenes were truly heart-warming. I found myself offering a prayer of thanks for the conclusion of these events.

However - I do feel for the poor woman who discovered her husband had had a mistress for ten years.

Yes Julie,
I come from Cheshire in the North West ,fairly close to the mining area of North Wales which has had a number of mining disasters that are tattooed on the collective consciousness .Wrexham was where there was a huge mining disaster in the 1930"s and 266 men died.Gresford Colliery.My parents and grandma remembered it well and talked about the horror of it from time to time .I remember them referring to it when my ex went to work as a reporter for the Wrexham Leader ,just before we came to London .It seemed to have left a kind of wound on the whole area for years .
The disasters were usually due to cost cutting by management---Gresford was and I think this Chilean mine had not been overhauled properly for safety exits in case of just such a collapse.As Adam said,its still a very risky job,not one many of us would like to do!
Best,
Norma

[Limehouse]

Hi Norma

I remember the Aberfan tragedy. I was about 8 or 9 at the time. I have a clear memory of sitting on the sofa in our front room and my mum was leaning on the back of the sofa with the newspaper spread out in front of her. She was sobbing as she read the story. We didn't have a TV at the time but since then I have seen TV film of the aftermath and it is just so horrific. I suppose those communities always have in their minds the possibility of a terrible disaster befalling them. It must be hard to live with - and perhaps that is why such communities sometimes have a strong church or chapel following.

Julie