On August 5, 2010, the century-old mine suffered a massive structural failure. For the first 17 days, the world had no idea if the miners were alive. Underground, the men organized themselves under the leadership of Mario Sepúlveda, rationing their tiny food supply to survive until a drill finally broke through to their shelter.
A note taped to a drill bit emerged on day 17, famously reading: "Estamos bien en el refugio, los 33" ("We are well in the shelter, the 33 of us"). 33brar
The story of " The 33 " is the miraculous true account of 33 Chilean miners who survived for 69 days after a catastrophic collapse at the San José copper-gold mine in 2010. Trapped 700 meters (2,300 feet) underground—roughly the height of two Empire State Buildings—the men faced near-certain death with only a three-day supply of food and water. ⛏️ The Collapse and Survival On August 5, 2010, the century-old mine suffered
A custom-built steel rescue capsule named Fénix 2 was used to pull the miners to the surface one by one on October 13, 2010. 'The 33' Brings True Story of Chilean Miners to Light A note taped to a drill bit emerged
The rescue operation, known as Operation San Lorenzo, became a massive international collaboration involving NASA, specialized drilling teams, and the Chilean government.
The miners transformed their small space into a "church" for prayer and a "coffin" they hoped to escape. 🌍 A Global Rescue Effort
Three separate drilling rigs (Plans A, B, and C) worked around the clock for months to reach the men.