The Earth’s surface holds many wonders great and small, natural and man-made. A different, though no less mesmerizing, world exists below. Human beings, while certainly not optimized for these environments, enter them regularly. Tourists visit caves, commuters shoot through subway tunnels, and miners across the world work underground as a matter of course. By and large, such forays into the ground do not last, and spelunkers, miners, and commuters emerge into the light and fresh air of the world above.
Sometimes, however, that’s not so easy. Sometimes, calamity leaves one or more unfortunate souls trapped underground, unable to reach the surface without help. In these dire situations, the entombed are left with few options but to hope for rescue. Some get it; others die in absolute darkness, feeling only their own fear and the indifferent, immutable rock around them.
Here are the miraculous rescues of trapped people in the world!
#1 Tunnel collapse in Quecreek, USA (2002)
On July 24, 2002, 18 miners were working in the Quecreek mine in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, when suddenly the tunnel flooded. Some managed to get out, but 9 miners were still trapped inside while the water level kept rising.
Rescue forces were immediately dispatched and the authorities decided to launch an operation to try to pump water out of the tunnel to save the lives of those trapped, while drilling into the tunnel and bringing a rescue compartment with a steel with supplies down to the miners.
On July 28, 2002, after more than 77 hours trapped underground, the miners began to be brought up through the rescue compartment. Nine miners had a spectacular escape from death and all were unhurt or sustained any serious injuries.
#2 69 Days Underground (2010)
On August 5, 2010, a cave-in occurred at the San Jose copper and gold mine near Copiapo, Chile. As a result, 33 workers found themselves trapped 700 meters (2,300 ft) below the surface.
They were stuck in hot, humid air at a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius (95 °F), which led some to develop fungal infections as well as respiratory and eye problems. They only had enough food to last two days, so they took one meal (two spoonfuls of tuna, half a glass of milk, and half a cookie) every other day. They were able to obtain water from radiators and a spring. They had to subsist this way for 17 days.
On August 22, rescue workers up above finally detected tapping on one of their probes. When they pulled it up, there was a note indicating that everyone was alive. From this point forward, it was possible to send the men food, water, and supplies through the borehole. Actual rescue, however, was still far off.
The 33 men developed a routine over the subsequent days. They formed three teams which worked, played, or slept in eight-hour intervals. Meanwhile, three separate drilling rigs had been brought to the site, and three shafts were being dug. On October 9, one of the three broke through into a chamber the miners had access to. Then came the task of lining the rescue shaft with metal in preparation for the extractions. Finally, just after midnight on October 13, the first rescued miner saw the sky for the first time in months. By the end of the day, the last man had been pulled out. All 33 had survived a total of 69 days underground.
#3 Rescuing workers trapped in a gold mine in South Africa (2014)
On February 16, 2014, South African authorities successfully rescued 11 workers trapped in a gold mine east of Johannesburg in South Africa. The tunnel collapse occurred after a sudden mass of rock collapsed and blocked the exit. Fortunately, someone happened to be passing by and heard the call for help and promptly informed the police.
The rescue force then arrived in time and carried out the work to rescue 11 workers and bring them to the ground.
#4 Rescuing a tourist who fell into a deep cave, Untersberg, Germany (2014)
More than 700 rescuers joined forces to rescue Johann Westhauser, a tourist seriously injured by a rock slide while exploring a cave in Untersberg, Germany on June 8, 2014.
Mr. Westhauser was accompanied by two other people. However, the people traveling with him were not seriously injured, so one tried to get help, while the other stayed by Westhauser’s side. Mr. Westhauser was then rescued from the cave after 11 days.
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Video source: World List
