By Kate Bransfield
On October 12th, 33 Chilean miners were rescued from a Andean mine located in Santiago, Chile.   For 10 weeks they were trapped because the mine collapsed unexpectantly.

Fortunately, they had a light source and food supplied by the rescue team.   But in order to receive the food from the surface, volunteers had to send the packages down a shaft by using a pulley.  Although this was an efficient method, it took a significant amount of time to reach 2,200 feet underground.

During the time of their entrapment, NASA constructed a capsule in order to pull the miners to the surface. Only one person could be hoisted up at a time because the device was too small to fit multiple people.   This proved to be a strenuous process because it took approximately 30 minutes for one miner to rise to the surface.  Surprisingly, there were no problems with the evacuation and all of the miners were pulled from the darkness.

The tearful reunion with their families  was broadcast by many television networks around the world including ABC, CNN, and MSNBC.  Based on the the content of the footage, the reuniting of the families was an emotional experience. When the reunion concluded, the miners were immediately transported to local hospitals in order to receive medical attention.

According to the Chilean Agency, the miners are making a swift recovery and they have all returned home.