Chilean Mine Rescue

[ChrisJC]

I see your point (although I suggest it wasn't particularly clear in your first post!). I agree that after contact was made, and provisions were arriving, then yes, punch-ups aside, they could have stayed there for a much longer period.

But until that point, I think it must have been pretty dire.

Chris.

 

[graham]

Cynical about the press, Pete? You'll be telling me next you don't trust politicians!

 

[mrodoc]

My posts tend to be brief so that's why my original point didn't come over. Regarding politicians I think you have to make too many compromises to make it a job I would enjoy and I think they need to be more honest - I find it irritating that they assume the public are idiots. But then as a fellow medic pointed the average IQ is 100 (and I can bet that most posters on this forum are about 30 points higher). Probably being provocative again :spank:

 

[Rhys]

Last night on ITV news there was a psychologist talking about the mental damage the miners may suffer. He said they would be haunted by the sounds and smells that they were subjected to in the mine. I thought, what a load of crap. The guys were miners and heard and smelt these things every day! It's not like they suddenly eneded up in a completely alien environment.

To a point Pete, I take your point. I think the rescue was a fanstastic technical achievement though. I would've expected food parcels getting jammed in the supply pipe on a regular basis and also the rescue capsule jamming - that doesn't bear thinking about! Gives me nightmares.

Rhys

 

[mrodoc]

The meejah seem very keen to hype up the physical impact. I couldn't believe it when they had a dentist on PM talking about their potential dental problems.

 

[graham]

Apparently quite a few of them "thanked god" for their release, rather than the guys who had actually done the work. I'd like to know why he buried the poor sods in the first place and why he reckoned these guys were worth saving but the 214 poor sods killed in the Chilean earthquake back in February were not.

 

[SamT]

I think the focus on their physical health has been way OTT. I can understand a few mental problems, like wanting to punch the living daylights out of one of your fellow captives cause he's been annoying the f*** out of you for the last 6 weeks and your trapped in a hole with him.

One of the commentators I heard seemed surprised that they could walk unaided from the capsule.... WTF 

They've had water, food, light, medical supplies, communication etc - surely a few toothbrushes may have been passed down.

However..

the rescue capsule jamming

that makes me shudder. Hadn't really thought about that. It wouldn't take much really would it 

 

[Jopo]

The meejah seem very keen to hype up the physical impact. I couldn't believe it when they had a dentist on PM talking about their potential dental problems.

Fancy one of the medical profession taking the opportunity of a appearance fee  :

Take any bunch of miners ( or any manual workers) - from a relatively poor country -
isolate them for nigh on 70 days and be surprised if the preexisting medical problems they took in with them got worse.
Wonder how many were cured of some sort of addiction?
Imagine it was a bunch of cavers. A gate would have been fitted to the shaft and a committee formed in seconds.

All the bollocks aside it was a remarkably skilled and successfull rescue and the engineers should be congratulated.
It would be good if that side of the story was published.

Jopo

 

[graham]

Take any bunch of miners ( or any manual workers) - from a relatively poor country -
isolate them for nigh on 70 days and be surprised if the preexisting medical problems they took in with them got worse.
Wonder how many were cured of some sort of addiction?
Imagine it was a bunch of cavers. A gate would have been fitted to the shaft and a committee formed in seconds.

All the bollocks aside it was a remarkably skilled and successfull rescue and the engineers should be congratulated.
It would be good if that side of the story was published.

Jopo

The addiction thing is probably true as they were, quite specifically, not supplied with either wine or tobacco

The engineers: the guy who controlled the tunnel, apparently an American, left before the first one came out as he didn't want to be part of the media party as they were rescued.

As for your point about cavers, perhaps we should ask if the rescue rig was covered by their PI insurance?

 

[Jopo]

Take any bunch of miners ( or any manual workers) - from a relatively poor country -
isolate them for nigh on 70 days and be surprised if the preexisting medical problems they took in with them got worse.
Wonder how many were cured of some sort of addiction?
Imagine it was a bunch of cavers. A gate would have been fitted to the shaft and a committee formed in seconds.

All the bollocks aside it was a remarkably skilled and successfull rescue and the engineers should be congratulated.
It would be good if that side of the story was published.

Jopo

The addiction thing is probably true as they were, quite specifically, not supplied with either wine or tobacco

The engineers: the guy who controlled the tunnel, apparently an American, left before the first one came out as he didn't want to be part of the media party as they were rescued.

As for your point about cavers, perhaps we should ask if the rescue rig was covered by their PI insurance?

Shit! Never thought of the BCA rake off!

Jopo

 

[ChrisJC]

Apparently quite a few of them "thanked god" for their release, rather than the guys who had actually done the work. I'd like to know why he buried the poor sods in the first place and why he reckoned these guys were worth saving but the 214 poor sods killed in the Chilean earthquake back in February were not.

Amen (pardon the pun) to that.

Religion always seems to gloss over questions like that!

Chris.

 

[AndyF]

Careful now, you'll get yourself labelled as a "militant athiest"

 

[Goydenman]

Apparently quite a few of them "thanked god" for their release, rather than the guys who had actually done the work. I'd like to know why he buried the poor sods in the first place and why he reckoned these guys were worth saving but the 214 poor sods killed in the Chilean earthquake back in February were not.

Each one that came out hugged the guys that got them out is that not thanks?