Heroism of the Chilean Miners!

[Errata]

Hello Bob,

This is what I was hinting to. The psychological ramifications are going to happen. And we just don't know what is going to happen, because this is the first time this has ever happened to this duration. Their circadian rythem will be the first target to the medics, getting them back on a normal sleep track, so they don't miss out on that all too important REM sleep.

Then like you said, suicide and drug abuse might be an issue. Also, the celebrity status they all now have might weigh in on whatever happens to them. I am supprised they aren't blind. I didn't watch closely enough to know if they had lights down there(In the videos it looked like the only source of light was the camera)and such a prolong inexposure to light, why aren't they blind?

Anyway, in the end just glad they got out alive and what not.

I think this is why NASA was heavily involved with the care of the miners. They have the most experience with isolated groups of people in cramped quarters. Clearly the first 18 days, before they were found would have been the worst. However these guys were incredibly smart. During those 18 days they were organized and working on specific tasks to ensure their own survival. They did have fluorescent lights sent down that were on timers to simulate a day/night cycle. So they did have light, and they had some regulation of their circadian rhythms. I think these guys are in the end going to have fewer problems than the survivors of Flight 571 or similar disasters.

Prolonged lack of light only results in blindness on an evolutionary scale. Like those cave fish who lost their eyes. After prolonged darkness, sudden exposure to light can cause blindness, but they were very careful to give these guys sunglasses, and a regimen for protecting their eyes.

[corey123]

Hello Bob,

This is what I was hinting to. The psychological ramifications are going to happen. And we just don't know what is going to happen, because this is the first time this has ever happened to this duration. Their circadian rythem will be the first target to the medics, getting them back on a normal sleep track, so they don't miss out on that all too important REM sleep.

Then like you said, suicide and drug abuse might be an issue. Also, the celebrity status they all now have might weigh in on whatever happens to them. I am supprised they aren't blind. I didn't watch closely enough to know if they had lights down there(In the videos it looked like the only source of light was the camera)and such a prolong inexposure to light, why aren't they blind?

Anyway, in the end just glad they got out alive and what not.

[Robert]

If they ever visit this country I advise them to avoid the Northern Line.

[Natalie Severn]

Bloody good job for the 33 miners that old Pinochet's not still in charge - he'd have just poured pre-mix concrete down the hole and had done with it.

G

Quite right Graham.
Mind this president"s brother was in the Pinochet cabinet and he himself supported Pinochet at the time!
Oh Well!

[Bob Hinton]

Very interesting but,

I was in the States watching all this unfold. I kept telling my wife that the real problems will start once they get them out.

I fear the majority of them will be on the scrap heap within a year, with suicide and alcoholism being the two biggest evils.

[Graham]

Bloody good job for the 33 miners that old Pinochet's not still in charge - he'd have just poured pre-mix concrete down the hole and had done with it.

G

[Natalie Severn]

Well Suzi----that is interesting.I knew a couple of reporters who covered the Aberfan story when my ex was a "cub" reporter for Cudlip"s Sun newspaper in London-.Although the reporters descended there in packs they found it hard to interview the families.The whole village was in mourning and didnt welcome such intrusion.

Corey,
yes, we are always told about the spirit that held people together looking after each other during WW2 and I think we caught a glimpse of that as well as the resilience and fortitude you saw in the trapped men .

[corey123]

Hello,

I have been watching this story for the past month or so. It is tremendous that humans can band together and survive undgerground for 68 days! I mean who could endure such a thing?

I was at work when the rescue opperation went on and we were very slow that night so my boss and I watched the whole thing practically(I worked overnight that night, oh boy! ) Anyhow, very intersting.

Also, they handled the psychological changes so far pretty well. As the experts who were called in to handle the miners said, their circadian rythem will be very out of balance, which is there natural time clock. This was mentioned when the rescue was under way and they sent the first capsle in with a rescue person.

In the end it is a very interesting a touching story.

Bravo mankind. Seems we really can pull together in hard times.

[Suzi]

Hi Norma
My husband was there at Aberfan as a cub reporter for the South Wales Evening Post one of his first 'jobs'- He talks about it to this day...a seriously terrible event


Now we have something in China with 22 dead and 17 odd alive with another mining horror Oh Gawd what a nightmare!

Suz

Nothing about a Davis or Davies though! (Ooops sorry bad taste!)

[Natalie Severn]

Thanks Julie.Aberfan was in 1966 .116 children were killed when the coal tip slid down a mountain in Wales and onto their school,28 adults died too.The history of the mining industry is certainly laced with human cost and tragedy.Thats possibly why this whole event in Chile is so widely celebrated----they could all easily have perished!
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

[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

[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.

[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.

[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?"