Rescued Chilean miners facing new future


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SALT LAKE CITY -- The country of Chile celebrated Thursday after the successful rescue of 33 trapped miners; "Mission Accomplished" is their new slogan.

The miners will stay in the hospital for another day, just for observation. But when they are let out and get back to their lives, things won't be the same.

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Rescuers safely pulled all 33 men from the mine Wednesday. When the last made it to the top, the entire country cheered.

Luis Urzua, 54, was the last miner out.

"We had the strength. We had the spirit. We had the courage to fight -- to fight for our lives, to fight for our families," Urzua said. "That was what was most magnificent."

Urzua and the other miners were promised new measures would be taken to improve mining conditions in the country and help keep this from happening again.

"We will be announcing a new treaty, protection, dignity, to protect all the workers in Chile," Chile President Sabastian Piñera said.

The miners all seem to be in surprisingly good condition. The most serious health worry is that one of them has pneumonia.

"I have to tell you that even though we recognized this effort from the medical team, we were completely surprised and we called this a real miracle," said Jaime Manalich, Chile's health minister.

Once the men are allowed to go back home, officials warn it could take time to readjust to their new-found fame. The men have been invited to presidential palaces, offered vacations, and are being courted by TV shows. Book and movie deals are also pending because of the amazing outcome.

"I think if we could have planned in advance this history as a movie, probably nobody would have believed that this story could have ended in a way as it is," said Laurence Goldborne, Chile's mining minister.

The men could be able to go back home Friday. The government will keep tabs on the men's health for the next six months as they readjust.

E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com

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