http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_mine_collapse

I just watched the first miner come to thesurface after 69 days underground. Great news for a change involving trapped miners. It seems whether in the US, China, Ukraine, wherever - the miners often don't survive. Anyway, the first things I noticed whenthe first miner came up is that he looked clean, well fed, clean shaven.and not weak at all. What kind of facilities do they have there about 650 meters below the surface?

They were getting food supplies since the first week.

There were no facilities, I believe.

The cave they were in was the size of a squash court; 33 men for 69 days!!!! They split into 3 shifts of 11 men to try to maintain a semblance of day/night/work/rest...so 11 men would sleep for 8 hours at a time.

Imagine the stench of 33 men living in such an enclosed space for 69 days!!!!

At least they will all get paid handsomely afterwards, what with book, tv, movie, magazine rights etc, and no doubt generous gifts. They deserve every bit of it,

I understand the mine had 'shelters' - areas of additionally reinforced tunnel, with some elementary facilities, such as first aid kit and similar - which is not normal in Chinese mines.

The initial collapse made these guys run to a shelter and thus the rescue squad on the surface had a much better idea of where these men were and could direct operations straight to the right spot.

Still took a couple of months, though.

In 90 degree heat.

I thought I heard that these guys happen to be having lunch in the shelter area when the collapse happened.

I know Fox News is hated in many corners of OTB but kudos to them for showing the rescue of ALL of them (so far). When I woke up this morning, they were just bringing up the first one. When I got back from work, they were waiting for #13. Now their on #15. Sometimes after the first one comes out it's easy to forget the story isn't over and take it for granted that there are 30+ left. The first and last will be famous, no one will probably remember #24.

Actually, it's getting a bit worn out now.

'Breaking News! Miner 16 coming out now!!!!!"

Media frenzy.

i thought I heard awhile back that they were also helped by Nasa who designed the escape pod

Also instructed them on how to eat/cope etc. I guess it would be similar to space travel in a sense. Cooped up sensory deprivation

Oakley got a lot of air time by supplying the sunglasses they all wore when they were pulled back into sunlight

In any case nice to see that all end well.

They have enough water down there to wash before coming up? I expected at least dirty faces. Their hair didn't even grow much in over two months. I smell a conspiracy! NASA was in on it? Maybe they were on a secret gov't mission to another dimension like in Stargate!?