What an incredible day yesterday was! Thirty-three Chilean miners, trapped 600 meters beneath the surface of the Earth, were finally rescued after spending 69 days in an underground emergency shelter after their mine collapsed.
Months of frantic yet precise drilling created a path for the 900-pound Fenix (Phoenix) rescue capsule. Just large enough to fit a man, an oxygen tank, and some basic electronic equipment, the Fenix was raised and lowered into the mine by a large motorized winch. A one-way trip in the Fenix took about twenty minutes.
For one heart-stopping day, the phrase "light at the end of the tunnel" was not a cliché, but more of a prayer. Some people suggest that the rescue is our generation's "Apollo 13". I couldn't bring myself to watch it on news television, though, not until it was all over.
I am so happy the miners are safe and sound. Lone Star Chilean flags are appearing all over town. And Chilean wine, I've discovered, tastes extra-sweet after a day like yesterday.
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