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SALT LAKE CITY -- After more than two months underground, it's been a smooth ride to the surface for miners trapped in a Chilean mine.
Any time we have a mine disaster, everybody perks up and listens.
–Pete Hackford, Division of Boiler, Elevator and Coal Mine Safety.
Just before 7 p.m. Mountain Standard Time Monday, the last miner surfaced. Billions of people could not turn away as each man made it to safety.
The operation has been a huge success, and it was ahead of schedule in every regard. Instead of being rescued near around the holidays, the miners were out before Halloween. And instead of taking days to get all the men out safely, it took less than 24 hours.
Millions of people around the world watched as the 33 miners were rescued. As one thankful miner after another emerged, it was on a worldwide stage. People in countries across the globe have been watching, including those in the mining industry in Utah.
Rescue reminiscent of local mine disasters
"Any time we have a mine disaster, everybody perks up and listens," said Pete Hackford, Director of the Division of Boiler, Elevator and Coal Mine Safety. "I think it's been a great joint effort for a lot of countries, a lot of industries."
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Whether you've watched, listened to or read about the Chilean mine rescue, you have joined a jubilant global community. A psychology expert explains why we literally wait for such events and how it brings us together.When you add up the engineering, tests and building of the technology, an estimated 1,000 people were involved in the operation.
"They took all the right precautions," Hackford said. "They started out with low expectations so everything was good news."
Staff and students at the University of Utah were also glued to TV screens.
"It is a change from bad news," said university employee Rebecca Burns. "It's encouraging to see people working together to save other humans."
Many viewers feel emotionally involved.
"It's elation," said Vickie Jackson, who's been watching the rescue. "I'm not related, I don't even know the guy, but it was exciting to know he had a family there, they were worried about him and they were excited to see him."
The rescue of the Chilean miners is calling to mind the rescue efforts at Utah's Crandall Canyon mine, as well as changes to rescue efforts that have been made over the decades.
Over the past 100 years, University of Utah associate professor Michael Nelson says the industry has seen an increase in efforts to rescue miners.
"Mining companies and society as a whole now put much higher value on human lives, and mining companies really value skilled and experienced workers," he said.
As for why rescue efforts failed at Crandall Canyon, the mining engineering teacher has a theory.
"The pillar failure at the Crandall Canyon, the conditions probably killed those men. Whereas in Chile, the men were still alive and were able to, after a period of time, communicate," Nelson said.
World watching the rescue unfold
After 70 days underground, the first miner made it to the surface just after 9 p.m. Tuesday, traveling the distance of two Empire State Buildings in a narrow capsule.
"I believe that I had extraordinary luck," said rescued miner Mario Sepulveda. "I believe this was a test ... I believe that God does test people, and I believe that we have the possibility to confront things in life such as what we had to confront."
They emerged carrying Chilean flags, souvenir rocks from below and sunglasses -- their eyes haven't seen the sun for more than two months.
Initial medical checkups have come back positive. Doctors say the men they've seen thus far are in great condition, bolstered by the mental aspect of seeing their loved ones.
"The tears they shed -- after so much time apart -- expressed not only their own relief, not only their own joy, but the joy of people everywhere," said President Barack Obama.
Those who haven't been able to follow the rescue on TV have been able to follow it via social media; event the Chilean president has been posting updates on Twitter.
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Story compiled with contributions from Sarah Dallof, Nkoyo Iyamba and Amanda Butterfield.
