Chile official: 1st miner to surface today

[brooklynite]

Source: MSNBC

COPIAPO, Chile — The first of Chile's 33 trapped miners are set to travel nearly half a mile through solid rock in a shaft just wider than a man's shoulders on Tuesday, as their two month ordeal after a cave-in draws to an end.

Nervous anticipation grew among the miners' relatives and friends as Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said rescuers aimed to start hoisting the miners starting about 6 p.m. (5 p.m. ET), hours ahead of schedule.

"We are hours from starting this process ... to start when it's the safest way," said Golborne during a press conference on Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39625809/ns/world_news-americas/

---

I would expect live coverage on every cable channel, to the exclusion of all other news stories (such as the DADT ruling).

[Bobbieo]

1. This is wonderful!! Have been following this story with great interest.

[Gin]

2. Me too.....it's the most interesting story in a long time

[leftynyc]

3. Good news

Have they mentioned how long it will take to get from where the miners are to the surface?

[Judi Lynn]

9. The trip up has been estimated to last around 15 minutes.

It's mentioned in this article I just found, but I've seen that number mentioned in a couple of other articles from different news organizations, as well:

Rescue of Chile Miners to Begin Wednesday
Atlanta 10/12/2010 03:57 PM GMT (WooEB)


Chilean officials plan to begin rescue operations Wednesday for miners trapped underground since August 5. The rescue capsule, called Phoenix 1, has already completed a successful test run. Rescue workers are waiting on the concrete base of the winch system to harden before sending Phoenix 1 down for the first trip.

Miners with technical knowledge will be the first to be rescue so they can help with the rescue operation. Those with health problems will ascend next. The healthiest miners will go last. During their ascent, the miners' vital signs will be monitored by a belt. Each man will wear green coveralls embroidered with their names.

Each trip through the shaft will take about 15 minutes. The miners are trapped nearly half a mile underground. The men will be monitored at a hospital set up above ground before they are taken to a hospital in Copiapo.

"I hope that by tomorrow or Wednesday, the miners will not only be able to see sunlight, but embrace their wives and girlfriends, parents, mothers and children," Chilean President Sebastian Pinera told CNN on Monday. "We have been with the miners since the accident and will remain with them once they are rescued."

http://news.wooeb.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=599642&cat=11

[leftynyc]

53. I just saw #6 come to the surface

I hate to use the word miracle when it's the result of human grit, planning and execution but wow.....what an awesome sight.

[lunatica]

4. Here's a drawing of the rescue capsule

[lumberjack_jeff]

33. Better send sedatives.

I would not want to be dragged a half-mile in that thing.

[truth2power]

5. Help please...I don't have cable. where would be the best place to get streaming video?

Thanks.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. live video link up and running...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/39632101#39632101

There must be cameras everywhere, seeing lots of different feeds and angles.

[truth2power]

7. thanks.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

8. ..

:)

[truth2power]

11. Watching it now. Guess I'll be glued to my computer for awhile.

:P

[Tx4obama]

19. And here's a link to the CNN live feed below

.

http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream2&hpt=T1

Looks like the same feed as MSNBC is using.

[valerief]

10. Have people survived as long as they have so far down underground?

Is this a first?

Could it have been a test?

Just wondering.

[itsrobert]

12. On air MSNBC just said 7pm ET

But may have not the current info of 5pm ET

[Viva_La_Revolution]

13. Is that the Prez speaking now? nt

[Gin]

14. CNN says first rescue is immenent....great news

[Gin]

15. last issue to touch my heart like this was the return of the POW's

from Viet Nam...

[Tx4obama]

16. Have they already lowered the rescue workers down into the hole? n/t

[Tx4obama]

17. CNN on TV just said the rescue workers haven't gone down yet....

So, we are still at least an hour or two before anyone comes up.

[kestrel91316]

18. Live feed looks like they are getting the rescue pod all ready to lower down.

Got it on a skip loader.

[Tx4obama]

25. I wonder why they're not using the capsule they already used in the test?

Seems like they'd use the one they sent down there yesterday for the test since they already know that that one worked. And it was already out of the box and ready to go :)

[Tx4obama]

20. From HuffPo

Excerpt:

There are rumors that rescuers are already down in the mine and have been there since approximately 2 p.m. local time, but state media says that is unconfirmed. The source appears to be family members of miners. Journalist Juan Carlos Campos says that some family members have been told that two rescue workers are already in the mine.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/12/chile-miners-rescue-live-_n_760066.html

[Judi Lynn]

21. Chile rescue to begin at 6 p.m. Central, president says

Chile rescue to begin at 6 p.m. Central, president says
By The Associated Press

Chile’s president says the rescue of miners trapped for more than two months will begin in two hours, keeping his promise to never abandon them.

The 33 miners are about to breathe fresh air for the first time since they were trapped a half-mile below the surface on Aug. 5.

Pinera says “it has been a very long journey,” but he’s optimistic that everything will go smoothly.

He says his government “made a promise to never surrender,” and kept it.

More:
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/oct/12/chile-rescue-begin-6-pm-central-president-says/

http://edubuzz.org.nyud.net:8090/blogs/gullaneprimary708mediaproject/files/2009/01/crossed_fingers1.jpg

[IcyPeas]

22. I'm torn as to whether to watch this on TV....

it's fantastic that they are getting rescued. I just feel like I shouldn't be looking. do you know what I mean?

[kestrel91316]

23. I have barely been following the story, but now that it's coming to such a

dramatic and presumably happy ending, I am enthralled. I never expected them to have a chance of surviving.

[Tx4obama]

24. The whole world is watching. Turn on your TV ;) n/t

[truth2power]

26. Question: If they're just now bringing the capsule to the site,

how did the rescuers get down to the mine? Another capsule?


edit> Reading upthread, I see that there apparently was another capsule used for a test, and maybe the rescue workers haven't gone down yet.

[Tx4obama]

27. CNN just said the rescue workers haven't gone down yet. n/t

[liberation]

28. Hope everything goes as expected...

... good luck to them. I can't even begin to imagine the ordeal these guys have gone through.

[kestrel91316]

29. Now they're fiddling with the oxygen tanks in the capsule.......

[kestrel91316]

30. (for the cube rats) Now they're fiddling with the video camera setup

that lets them keep an eye on the miner as they raise him

[Dorian Gray]

31. I hope that they all

make it out alive. What a harrowing and horrendous story, and I hope it has a happy ending for these men and their families.

[kestrel91316]

32. Now I think they are attaching the heavy cable that will haul that pod up and down

the hole upwards of 40 times.....

[kestrel91316]

34. Spokesman just now says that they are going to start testing the capsule,

sending it down empty first? then they will send it down with a rescuer in it - will take about 2 hours, then they will start extractions of miners.

[truth2power]

35. The Minister just said that it will be about two more hours and then

they're going to send the capsule down and back up empty and then send a rescuer down.

[rabs]

36. Journalists have arrived like a plague of locusts

There are something like 1,500 reporters and video people from around the world there. But they are out of luck because they will not be allowed near the miners as they come up.

The Chilean government has advised the miners and families to protect them from the besieging journalists.

The plan is to fly the miners to the nearest city,Copiapo, where two floors of a hospital have been reserved for medical and psychiatric observation.

If helicopters are used, the miners will have gone from more than 2,000 feet underground to several thousand feet in the sky.

The use of the helicopters depends on the "guarua," a fog that descends on the Atacama desert this time of the year. Ambulances are also standing by to take the miners to Copiapo if needed.


UNIVISION is carrying the rescue effort live.

For those who might have a problem pronouncing Copiapo -- it's KO PEE AH PO. (Television anchors are having a devil of a time pronouncing it. lol )

[Tx4obama]

37. Online CNN and MSNBC have live feed streaming links.

CNN has THREE different feeds, found here --> http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=2
MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/39632101#39632101

[cbdo2007]

38. Anyone know of a live internet feed with some commentary??

As much as I hate the talking heads...they're kind of helpful when you're just watching and don't know what's going on.

I looked at Cnn, Msnbc, Cbs....anyone know of an online one with commentary? Thanks!

[rabs]

39. Try this one

http://news.sky.com/skynews/

Online TV from England.

I prefer to watch UNIVISION TV in Spanish because they are interviewing Chilean rescue workers and families live and unfiltered by anchors who report in English and are often lost as to what is happening.

[Tansy_Gold]

40. Could you post a link to Univision? My Spanish is rusty

but I can follow enough to get the gist of what they're saying, and maybe others can, too.

¡Muchas gracias!

TG

[rabs]

41. De nada y encontre UNIVISION en vivo

It is going to take hours still for the actual first miner to be brought up. The capsule "Fenix" will be lowered soon with a rescuer first, then he will be brought back up to report the condition of the shaft.


http://www.bizontv.com/2010/02/univision-en-vivo-tv-usa.html

[Tx4obama]

45. That's not what I heard....

I heard the FIRST RESCUER would go down, and then the FIRST MINER would come up.
Then another rescuer will go donw, and the second miner will come up, etc. etc. etc.

[rabs]

48. That does not jibe with what is being reported live

from the scene on UNIVISION. Where did you hear that version?

Capsule Fenix was lowered empty first, just brought back up, then mining expert will be sent down, and brought back up after analyzing the condition of the shaft.

[Tx4obama]

49. I read it on the thread on the link below - comment #23

*** OFFICIAL CHILEAN MINER RESCUE THREAD #1 ***
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9303118

[mvd]

42. Great news!

:thumbsup:

Chile sure seems to have better mine procedures than we do. They have facilities down there for food, oxygen, rescue..

[kestrel91316]

43. They cetainly seem to have a better grip on preparation for this sort of thing

than mines in the US do. Probably more of those horrible Chilean government regulations have led to this sad situation. :sarcasm:

[kestrel91316]

44. Capsule in position to be lowered down the hole, first with nobody in it.....

Now they have slipped it in, and thar she goes!!!!

[Tx4obama]

46. Fingers crossed and holding my breath! n/t

[Tx4obama]

47. The 'test capsule just came back up to the surface. n/t

[rabs]

50. It only went down about 74 meters

and for some reason it was hoisted back up.

Second try now under way.

Rats, UNIVISION has shifted to soccer match Mexico v. Venezuela.

[Tx4obama]

51. They hit is with a hammer quite a bit when it came up last time.. n/t

[rabs]

52. First rescuer going down

President Pinera to Manuel Gonzalez: "Go with God. Bring us the miners."