A year ago today we were glued to our televisions in wonder as the last of 33 miners emerged from a collapsed gold and copper mine in Chile. The men had been trapped 2,300 feet underground for a record 69 days after the mine’s entrance was blocked by fallen rock. At first it was believed that all the men had perished in the cave-in. But seventeen days after the accident, a drill bit was pulled out of an exploratory hole with this message taped to its tip: “We are well in the shelter, the 33.” The next eight weeks were spent trying to keep them alive and well until they could be brought to safety. The miners were surprisingly healthy after their ordeal. But all of them had lost weight, one had pneumonia and several suffered from serious dental infections. I guess that’s something you might expect after three and a half months without a toothbrush.
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