34 Track 34

Unit 12

True Life Stories

Chapter 2

Alive to tell their tale

Page 151

Alive to tell their tale!

On August 5, 2010, an accident trapped 33 men 700 meters underground. The men worked for a copper and gold mine near Copiao, about Chile.

At first no one knew if the miners had lived through the accident. Then, on the morning of August 22, rescue workers made a hole deep enough to reach the miners.

The men wrote notes and sent them up. The miners had survived by eating only small bits of food at a time and drinking a little milk once a day. (The mind some food and drinks underground in case of an emergency.

They had used their tools to dig for water. They had used the batteries from machines to keep some lights on.

Once the miners were found, the rescue workers passed them food, water books, and letters from their families. Even though the miners had been found, the rescuers had to work hard to get them out.

The rescuers needed a powerful drill to dig deep into the ground. It took 52 more days to save the man.

On the night of October 12, the workers were able to save the men. One by one the miners were brought up in a specially built elevator.

They were weak, so the workers were very careful. Family members, friends, and people around the world cheered and celebrated. Church bells rang throughout Chile. In all, the minor spent 69 terrifying days underground.

“We had strength… we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing.” said Luis Urzua, the supervisor. He was the last miner to be saved.