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Chile miner rescue the good news story of the decade - VIDEO
Posted on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 11:56 PM
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What human being alive could not feel an enormous surge of humanity and gratitude when miner Florencio Avalaos was brought to the surface from 2,400 feet below the surface in Chile?
The hug with his wife and child was the greatest news moment of the year perhaps the decade
There are indeed times when we are the world, all of us, not countries or continents, but human beings alone on a planet.
Looking on the face of the young son of Florencio Avalos as he awaited his father's rescue you could not but be touched to the the core of your soul as to the depth of the extraordinary emotion of the families
The cries were 'Chile, Chile' but hey just as well may have been for all of humanity.
With such a dearth of good news in this world of ours, it was magnificent to see man overcome an incredible challenge such as rescuing miners thousands of feet in the ground.
We can only imagine what it was like to spend 69 days under the earth that kept them prisoner
For seventeen of those days they were cut off from the world, alone and completely at the mercy of the operation to rescue them.
After seventeen days almost everyone except the families themselves believed that they were dead in the mine collapse.
Yet somehow they survived and when the drill came back to the surface with a note attached from the miners that read "33 of us all alive" the whole world rejoiced in the sheer incredulity of it all.
The operation to rescue them was global with Americans providing much of the expertise that led to the time needed to rescue them being cut in half.
But in the end it was all mankind that could rejoice.
A rare moment when we were all the world.
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jacersagain | Oct 18, 2010, 03:56 PM EDT
One final comment on this event from me if I may, before it disappears off the pages... Has anyone noticed that it was 33 miners who were rescued? 33. Each miner said that he felt a whole new life before him after being rescued. 33 men said it was a miracle that they lived to see daylight again. 33 – The same age as Jesus Christ was when He died. The same age as when He showed us Life began again with His Resurrection. 33. The miners’ rescue was a miraculous event indeed and worth reflection that maybe Christ was reminding us of something. A miracle perhaps and 33?
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Monsoonman | Oct 16, 2010, 12:56 PM EDT
The old adage of: "You'll find no atheists in a collapsed mine shaft" seems to be true in this case as well. They all seemed to have formed a close personal relationship with G*d. Sean
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McNamara31 | Oct 15, 2010, 09:24 AM EDT
The story that most touched me, is how these 33 Chilean men stayed together and found strength and comfort in their camaraderie with each other. Many emerging countries, even though poor and struggling, still have those intense ties that gets one though the toughest of struggles. It’s similar to the strength of being part of a clan; something much bigger than oneself. The industrial world with its success, experience broken families, isolation out in the suburbs and lack the sense of security that being part of the clan provided; whether it was a clan of extended family member, a community clan, an ethnic clan or whatever bonds groups of people together. It think possibly, it was the strength of the "clan" that got these Chilean miners and their families through and what is missing in today's modern societies.
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jacersagain | Oct 14, 2010, 03:14 PM EDT
Well now that the rescue has been completely successful, thank God, may I say I how really glad I was that the last Chilean miner listed to be lifted out wasn’t of Irish descent? You’ve heard the story of Paddy the Englishman, Paddy the Scotsman and Paddy the Irishman stranded on a deserted island for years? One day they found a lamp in the sand, rubbed it clean and out wisps a Genie. “I can grant you each one wish” he says. Paddy the Englishman wishes he was back in dear ol’ London town, swilling beer and surrounded by beautiful women. With a snap of the Genie’s fingers *pooft* he’s back in London, in his favourite bar, surrounded by gorgeous women. The Scotsman wishes he was back in Glasgow, swilling whiskey and merrily dancing the Highland Fling. *pooft* He’s back in Glasgow, wish granted. Then it’s Paddy the Irishman’s turn to wish. He looks around the deserted island, shakes his head sadly and says “Jaysus, I’d be awful lonely here without those fellas. I wish they hadn’t left!” *pooft*
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GeorgeDillon | Oct 14, 2010, 02:46 PM EDT
Contacts in Ireland tell me that the Irish are comparing the can-do Chilean President with the can't-do Irish Prime Minister Cowen and the do-nothing Queen of Blather President McAleese. Guess who comes out best in those comparisons?
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Searlit | Oct 14, 2010, 09:10 AM EDT
@Dublinjas, don't give up on Ireland, it's still the last Celtic outpost, no matter who shows up.
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DennisQ | Oct 14, 2010, 09:07 AM EDT
It's good to know that in parts of the world, people are celebrating saving life, not pointing fingers at who's responsible for taking it.
Meanwhile . . . there's news from the war in Afghanistan. Navy commandos killed Linda Norgrove, the Scottish hostage they were trying to rescue. At first the Americans tried to blame the Taliban, but overhead cameras filming the incident showed a commando throwing a hand grenade into the room where Norgrove was being held.
General Petraeus, afraid that Prime Minister Cameron might use the incident as an excuse to withdraw completely, flew to London to smooth over some ruffled feathers. It won't happen again, said Petraeus, adding that the commando will be punished.
Not missing a beat, Mr Cameron promptly blamed the death on the Taliban. It's their fault for taking her hostage in the first place.
Meanwhile . . . there's news from the war in Afghanistan. Navy commandos killed Linda Norgrove, the Scottish hostage they were trying to rescue. At first the Americans tried to blame the Taliban, but overhead cameras filming the incident showed a commando throwing a hand grenade into the room where Norgrove was being held.
General Petraeus, afraid that Prime Minister Cameron might use the incident as an excuse to withdraw completely, flew to London to smooth over some ruffled feathers. It won't happen again, said Petraeus, adding that the commando will be punished.
Not missing a beat, Mr Cameron promptly blamed the death on the Taliban. It's their fault for taking her hostage in the first place.
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killowen | Oct 13, 2010, 11:06 PM EDT
The last miner was the key to the miracle success of the group. A take charge guy is what is required in every endeavour. Media got a great freebee show
better than any of their content offerings that I've ever bothered watching. Chile Abu and with Yankee technology that figured mightily.
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carlpaschal | Oct 13, 2010, 10:06 PM EDT
The Chilean people aren't perfect, but they are very patriotic. My family and I lived in the Atacama Desert and knew a lot of miners. They were hard workers. Life wasn't easy there, but they were a strong, robust people. I love Chile and the Chilean people. I'm glad the miners were rescued.
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Dublinjas | Oct 13, 2010, 09:03 PM EDT
All Humanity celebrates these miners being brought to freedom, But what strikes me most is the pride these people have in their Nation, a Nation with a checkered past for sure ...Who can forget the ravages on the Pinochet regime. But also it brings back memories of when I had a great Patriotic love for Ireland and how I remember that there was so much of this pride and love of Nation around...The rebel songs the ballad sessions on a friday/saturday night etc, No more of course how can anyone be proud of what this schithole has become with their so called multi cultural society, a land stuffed with sponging lay abouts who use their ethnicity to exploit the Nation to the bone, So who could be proud of a Country that is lead by imbeciles who are the paid and willing servants of the wide world of finance and have saddled and enslaved the yet unborn with debts that will not be paid in five generations and this to further enrich multi billionaires like Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. No I am no longer Patriotic because the land where I was born does not exist except in memory it has become a land led by a Pigman a land of very sad people a land where I no longer hear the tunes the great songs of yesteryear....A land of Foreigners...
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willieboy | Oct 13, 2010, 07:41 PM EDT
At least one country knows how to do it right. GOD bless Chile...
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Searlit | Oct 13, 2010, 06:43 PM EDT
Don't be so hard on the Irish, GeorgeDillon. It's not helping anything. Don't forget Chile was helped by America. There's got to be a lot of mixed feelings about the Irish flag, with the country being divided. Let them sort it out, as only they can.
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jacersagain | Oct 13, 2010, 03:09 PM EDT
“There are indeed times when we are the world, all of us, not countries or continents, but human beings alone on a planet”, writes Patrick above. Beautifully put. I’ve just watched the 20th miner drawn up to the surface as I write. I think this is truly a remarkable event, one for everybody all over the world. As each miner breaks to the surface of our planet, it’s as if I see a new-born person for the first time. Thanks be to God for the joy we can all share in this together. And let’s pray for the remaining guys to surface safely and that Murphy’s Law doesn’t come into play!
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Searlit | Oct 13, 2010, 02:08 PM EDT
Wonderful to watch this rescue. People really can be amazing!
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