This would suck. Seriously though…3-4 months? Copiapo, Chile (CNN) – As Chile labors carefully to rescue 33 trapped miners, the nation is subtly working to buoy their hopes and psychological equilibrium by not telling them straight out just how long it could take to free them from the bottom of a dark and craggy shaft. Sebastian Pinera, the country’s president, told the miners on Tuesday night that they would not be out before September 18, Chile’s independence day, but would be out before Christmas. He also told one of the miners, who is Bolivian, about a meeting Pinera has with the president of that country in late November. Pinera said he would invite the Bolivian miner to accompany him. Health Minister Jaime Manalich passed along the president’s remarks to reporters on Wednesday, speaking to them via speaker phone. Authorities believe it would be too much of a psychological blow to tell the miners that experts estimate it could take three to four months to drill the men out. Video: Chile mine rescue to last months Chile miners: Depth perception Video: Families wait and pray Video: Just how small is space for 33 miners? RELATED TOPICS Chile Mining Accidents and Disasters Manalich said the comments made by the president are part of an ongoing effort to gently and methodically break the news that the rescue will take a long time. Asked why the miners weren’t told specifically how long it will take, he replied, “We don’t have the correct psychological diagnosis about how the situation is down there.” Authorities said communications and supplies have been flowing efficiently between rescuers and the 33 miners, who already have been trapped for three weeks 2,300 feet below the Earth’s surface. They were cut off from the surface by an August 5 cave-in at the San Jose copper and gold mine. Crews are sending playing cards and religious figures, such as statuettes of saints, to the miners. Manalich said a crucifix has also been sent down, and the miners intend to designate an area in their shelter as a shrine. They have been encouraged to sing, and one of the miners who is a fanatic Elvis Presley fan is expected to lead them in sing-alongs. And, they will be given chores. Officials are having the 33 split into two shifts, so that one group will sleep while the other works or has leisure time. One of the miners has nursing experience and authorities are working with him to pass along questionnaires to the miners that will shed light on their health. Based on a survey of the miners, three or four of them are showing signs of anxiety and depression. Another survey indicates that there are at least nine miners who would be too overweight to fit through the proposed rescue shaft, Manalich said. However, Manalich said the miners are estimated to have lost about 8 kilograms, or 17 pounds, during their time in the mine, and officials expect them to be in shape to be rescued by the time the shaft is completed. The miners have survived by sharing small amounts of tuna and mackerel that were in a shelter, along with water, officials have said. What the miners eat and how much will be monitored by officials, and tubes will constantly pump oxygen and drinking water into the shelter where the miners are.
I think I would have a bit of a problem being down there and some dude singing a bunch of Elvis.
The real question is where will they take dumps? Won’t it start smelling atrociously bad after a few weeks with all the excretement, urine and body odor in that shaft? Shudder…
marcus phoenix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The real question is where will they take dumps? > Won’t it start smelling atrociously bad after a > few weeks with all the excretement, urine and body > odor in that shaft? Shudder… before reading this I was sad about their plight…now am grossed out.
$50 says the Elvis impersonator has an “accident” and becomes dinner.
Apparently it’s a pretty big space they’re in. I would just get leery of having so much earth above me. Also, can you imagine how badly they wanna “you know?” I can barely make it two weeks until I toss standards to the wind…
They’re probably taking care of their business in buckets that are lowered down. As long as I was getting paid (including overtime), I would’t mind a few weeks of this. No wife, no kids, no work, poker, sing-a-longs, shot the breeze with the guys, sounds good to me. I’m sure they could lower a lap top down there.
murders&executions Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > They’re probably taking care of their business in > buckets that are lowered down. As long as I was > getting paid (including overtime), I would’t mind > a few weeks of this. No wife, no kids, no work, > poker, sing-a-longs, shot the breeze with the > guys, sounds good to me. I’m sure they could lower > a lap top down there. Maybe they could lower a tv and a kegger everyday. Then they can get wasted watching soccer daily.
Ok Marcus and Murders…your ridiculous and insensitive. I say if we can have a live camera on the BP oil leak a mile under water, I think we should have a camera for this. Now that would be some quality reality tv.
The miners are unaware of how long they will be trapped. They aren’t told when they will be out.
cfagoal2 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The miners are unaware of how long they will be > trapped. They aren’t told when they will be out. This can’t be true.
The miners are now aware. The tube that is their life line is only about 3.2 inches wide. The space they are trapped in has been compared to a ‘small apartment’.
ColdDarkMatter Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The miners are now aware. The tube that is their > life line is only about 3.2 inches wide. The > space they are trapped in has been compared to a > ‘small apartment’. This can’t be true either. I’ve read that they have a truck down there that was powering their lights.
Pretty good article on it here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100827/ap_on_bi_ge/lt_chile_mine_collapse Doesn’t talk about them having power, but they are in a “living room” sized shelter that apparently has some partially intact tunnels adjoining it that the miners are also using. Doesn’t discuss where they’re doing their business either, but I guess one of the adjoining tunnels is being used. Their employer is also bankrupt, so the government is picking up all the rescue efforts.