Local Athletes Celebrate Dramatic Miner Rescue
SAN FRANCISCO: Athletes Who Raised Funds For Chilean Miners Celebrate Rescue
Updated on: 2010-10-13 02:14:04
A group of Bay Area athletes who had a personal stake in the mission to rescue the Chilean miners trapped underground for 69 days watched in jubilation Tuesday night as the first miner emerged from the specially designed rescue capsule.
The group of Bay Area swimmers was gathered inside the Blue Mermaid restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Last month, they swam from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park to raise money for the trapped miners. On Tuesday they anxiously watched the dramatic rescue.
Waving small Chilean flags, the group erupted into cheers when the first miner, 31-year -old Florencio avalos, surfaced.
"I don't have words," said Mill Valley resident and Chilean native Pedro Ordenes. "I am like shocked to see this. It's like a miracle."
Ordenes became emotional watching his native country accomplish what many thought to be impossible. His own grandfather -- a Chilean copper miner -- was buried alive just days before Ordenes was born.
"The whole world has been waiting for this moment, this happy ending," said Ordenes. "Incredible."
Never before has anyone been trapped underground this long and survived. Chilean officials began the final stage of this dangerous and delicate rescue operation a little after 8 p.m. pacific standard time.
The narrow escape capsule with a rescuer inside was lowered down a nearly half-mile tunnel beneath the Chilean desert.
Over the next two days, the 33 miners will be brought to fresh air and freedom one by one.
Diana Craig was another one of the 33 swimmers who set out on a charity swim across the bay for the trapped miners. Like Ordenes, her grandfather was a miner. He worked as a coal miner in Pennsylvania and eventually died from black lung disease.
"I think it's a lesson in humanity," said Craig. "I'm just astonished at how well they have treated each other and in the face of real hardship."
Her heart immediately went out to the families who for weeks have been holding vigil outside the San Jose mine in Chile.
"Its mind boggling to me that the miners can go down there and mine and live that life," said Craig.
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Víctor Lei
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