How Did 33 Trapped Miners in Chile Survive for 17 Days Without Supplies?

Photo Credit: Aliosha Marquez/AP Images

August 26, 2010

On Sunday when mine rescue teams in Chile hauled up the drill that first broke into the underground chamber, ecstatic relief spread like wildfire when they saw notes that announced the safety of all 33 miners attached to the drill tip. Rescue teams had been working tirelessly in search of these trapped men since August 5. Each miner had lived on two spoonfuls of tuna, a sip of milk, a bite of crackers and a morsel of peaches every other day for 17 days until supplies were sent down Monday.

What is it like down there?

Hot, dark and crowded. These men are trapped in one of the lowest levels of the mine, 2,257 ft (688m) below the surface, where it is pitch black and constantly 86 F (30 C). The men, ages 19-63, have access to a refuge shelter that is 530 sq ft or just about the size of a small studio apartment. It has one portable toilet, 30 chairs, a few benches, blankets, an oxygen reserve but no beds The Globe and Mail reports. In addition the men have explored a half-mile corridor that can be safely accessed with no risk of collapse at their depth.

What is the rescue plan?

Teams will drill two small holes as well as a larger one that can fit the men out one at a time. The rescuers have been using the same borehole that first made contact as their lifeline. This six inch diameter hole has sent down food and water. Once drilled, the three small holes will each have their own unique purpose: communication, supplies, and ventilation.

What does it feel like to be trapped half a mile underground?

These miners are likely to feel overcrowded, sleep deprived, restless, bored and irritable Kathleen Kowalski Trakofler, a research psychologist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health told MSNBC. It is projected that some of the men have lost 20 pounds from the heat and lack of nourishment. She adds that common symptoms of entrapment in small dark places “include anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, hostility, depression, and irrational and impulsive behavior.” There will also be additional factors like no privacy while toileting and invasive odors that will add to the miners' stress. Also the lack of natural light which is needed to trigger the body's natural sleep patterns will make comfort even harder to obtain, she says.

To help alleviate the stressors on the miners, crews are currently working on extending a permanent telephone line reports The Globe and Mail. Communication with families and medical crews will be crucial to help keep the miners' in a stable mental state.

Chilean Health Minister, Jaime Mañalich who has been involved closely with this rescue effort advises that the miners must be well supported and kept actively engaged reports The Daily Beast. In addition Mañalich recognizes that “an essential problem will be the psychological aftereffects.” In response, a team of psychologists is preparing to help the miners transition back into normal life when they do reach the surface.

What about food, water and oxygen?

On Monday the first supplies arrived to the miners. These included hydration tablets, high energy glucose gel, and medical supplies including antacids because one survivor reported stomach pain The Globe and Mail reports. These packages nick-named “palomas” or messenger doves, were wrapped in plastic and sent down the borehole. Once a new hole is drilled, rescuers will send down bread, yogurt and milk to start. It takes one hours for the food to reach the miners.

The underground miners have used an available backhoe to dig for water reported MSNBC. The miners insist that large pockets oxygen are available underground and report that they can breathe more or less normally. However, more oxygen reserves will be sent down later this week, and there is a reserve in the shelter.

How will the miners pass the time?

There are some magazines and books in the refuge. Miners also have been using cell phones for games reports The Globe and Mail -- but the cell phones have no service.

Recently, officials have sent the miners some playing cards as well. Miners has also requested a Chilean flag, religious figures like statuettes of saints, and a crucifix, to be delivered reports CNN, which the miners intend to designate as a shrine area in their underground shelter.