The unthinkable had been done – 33 men defied the odds and survived what is likely to have been longest underground disaster.
But this one was different – it went on longer and louder. The crowd erupted into applause – and Pinera, the Chilean president, clasped his hands together and held a wide smile on his face – and finally a sign of relief.Ĭhants of “Chi! Chi! Chi! Le! Le! Le!” rang out as it had for each miner.
As he reached close to ground level, signaled by a blaring signal, the way it did for each man before him, emotions on the ground reached a fever pitch.