33brar Page

On August 5, 2010, the century-old mine suffered a massive structural failure. For the first 17 days, the world had no idea if the miners were alive. Underground, the men organized themselves under the leadership of Mario Sepúlveda, rationing their tiny food supply to survive until a drill finally broke through to their shelter.

The rescue operation, known as Operation San Lorenzo, became a massive international collaboration involving NASA, specialized drilling teams, and the Chilean government. 33brar

Three separate drilling rigs (Plans A, B, and C) worked around the clock for months to reach the men. On August 5, 2010, the century-old mine suffered