A global audience watched captivated on Wednesday as the first of 33 miners trapped for a record 68 days deep underground emerged into the cold night air of Chile's Atacama desert. People logged on and tuned in to read, watch and listen as Florencio Avalos was successfully extracted from the depths of the San Jose mine at 0310 GMT, followed by co-worker Mario Sepulveda exactly one hour later.
The fate of the men, who were trapped more than 600m underground for 17 days before being discovered, has become a momentous human interest story, enthralling people at every twist and turn. Wellwishers from every corner of the globe, ranging in status from fellow miners to heads of state, have turned their attention on the remote site.
Initially given up for dead, grieving had already begun when a sensational note was found tied to a drill probe on Aug 22 saying: 'All 33 of us are well inside the shelter'.
Millions have since followed the painstaking rescue efforts as a shaft wide enough to extract the men was drilled in an unprecedented months-long operation, imagining the nightmarish existence of the men deep underground. As the rescue bid got under way, live images from the site were broadcast to viewers in New York, Sydney, London and Tokyo. The operation is expected to take two days and the miners are being taken to hospital for examination, although they appear to be in great shape. They have to wear sunglasses to protect their retinas from the strong light they are no longer used to. They are all jubilant and fully appreciate the miracle of their rescue.
