They are lowering down sans persons so the crane operator knows how much tension and what speed is best. It's finally going down. Yay!
My lovely brother in law is in town this evening so I've lost track of what is happening! ARRRGGGHHHH. Only for F. would I forgo TV tonight. I'll check back here for updates later!!
back up. About 23 mins round trip.
@boomerang,
No tv here, and I've been busy today so not looking online. I'm in a worrywart state in part because of the pre rescue euphoria, which I'd hate to see shattered.
So, holding my breath.
edit, well, the pre rescue euphoria I read about. JPB's posts interesting re the above ground folks.
The capsule with rescuer is heading down to get the first miner. (CNN)
Capsule with rescuer arrived just fine. Really remarkable video from down below showing the capsule's arrival. Rescuer briefing miners. First miner now suiting up.
The whole world must be sitting on the edges of their seats. I know I am.
First miner is on his way up.
@Eva,
I just saw on a live feed. He is out.
HE MADE IT!!!
Crowds cheering! First thing he does is kiss his son and wife!
(I can breathe now.)
@edgarblythe,
I got home barely in time to see them open the capsule!
I thought they were going to shield the re-entry from the public and that the family members weren't going to get to see them for a bit.
Wow.
Just wow.
They sent him off for medical attention almost immediately. All of them will require testing & monitoring for some time, I understand. But he appeared to be fine.
They're getting ready to send another rescuer down now.
Second miner is on his way up now.
Second miner is up safely. This guy is a real character. Hugged his wife first. He brought a bag full of rocks with him. Handed them out to all the rescuers. Then proceeded to hug everyone he saw. Biggest smile I ever saw. He was cheering! YAY!!!
I'm going to bed. I'm just about wiped out from watching all this. Somebody else can take over reporting here.......
When I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was about Antarctica where we landed on Camp Esperanza on the Antarctic peninsula.
Four up already, according to CNN.com.
CBC just said that ten miners have reached the surface--8:30 am, EDT.
@Setanta,
Just saw the 12th come up.
I love how huggy everyone is! (Not just the miners but all the officials waiting with family members, etc.)
This has been amazing to watch!
All the gloom and doom predictions about their future in the paper are disspiriting. I hope they're all able to move past this without all the psychological reprecussions that seem to be expected.
There was a huge cheer at the office, the moment the first man came out.
Then, to wait for the photos to arrive.
I left after the second miner had been rescued.
At home, the wife was watching the event, we saw the third man out (not huggy enough for our tastes).
Before the Bolivian was rescued, there was an interview with his sister, who can hardly speak Spanish.
At 1:00 we went to bed.
In the morning, after giving my daughter a ride to the subway station, a jog and a small breakfast, as soon as my wife woke up, we went back to watch the TV. It was the 14th miner's turn. He was huggy enough.
And then all the tears of emotion and joy finally flowed on me. A whole river.
---
Emotion wise, humanly, to watch this was more for me than watching the man land on the moon, or the end of the Vietnam war (which are the most memorable moments of live news I had ever watched).
