Chilean Miners are Almost Out

It has been 69 days since 33 Chilean miners became trapped about half a mile underground. Today, Tuesday October 12th, the first miner was finally able to breathe fresh air and see his family. A customized escape capsule was constructed specifically for retrieving the miners. It is about a 20 minute ride up if everything goes smoothly. Many safety precautions had to be considered in order to ensure the most successful escape. The article reports that:

"As each miner is hauled up, a small video camera in the escape capsule will be trained on his face so rescuers can watch for panic attacks. The miners will wear oxygen masks and have two-way voice communication.

Their pulse, skin temperature and respiration rate will be constantly measured through a biomonitor around their abdomens. To prevent blood clotting from the quick ascent, they took aspirin and will wear compression socks.

The miners will also wear sweaters because they'll experience a shift in climate from about 90 degrees Fahrenheit underground to temperatures hovering near freezing if they emerge at night. Those coming out during daylight hours will wear sunglasses."

As soon as the miner reaches the top they are ushered over to a triage center to receive immediate medical attention. Next, they will be air-lifted to a nearby hospital that has prepared two entire wards  specifically for the care of these miners.
The Chilean government has put in immense time and effort to assure that the miners will receive the best possible care and to also show the gratitude it has for their hard and dangerous work.