Jubilation as last trapped miner is brought up safely

THE last of the trapped Chilean miners was raised from the depths of the earth today in a remarkable conclusion to a 69-day ordeal that captivated audiences across the globe.

Luis Urzua, the foreman who held them together when they were feared lost, ascended smoothly through 2,000 feet of rock, completing a 22 and a half-hour rescue operation that exceeded officials' best expectations every step of the way.

Before a jubilant crowd of 2,000 people, he became the 33rd miner to be rescued.

"We have done what the entire world was waiting for," he told Chilean president Sebastian Pinera immediately after his rescue from the San Jose mine.

"The 70 days that we fought so hard were not in vain. We had strength, we had spirit, we wanted to fight, we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing."

The president told him: "You are not the same and the country is not the same after this. You were an inspiration. Go hug your wife and your daughter."

With Mr Urzua by his side, he led the crowd in singing the national anthem.

No-one in recorded history has survived as long trapped underground. and for the first 17 days, no one even knew whether they were alive.

In the weeks that followed, the world was captivated by their endurance and unity.

The rescue exceeded expectations every step of the way. Officials first said it might be four months before they could get the men out but it turned out to be 69 days and about eight hours.

Once the escape tunnel was finished, they estimated it would take 36 to 48 hours to get all the miners to the surface.

That got faster as the operation went along and all the miners were safely above ground in 22 hours, 37 minutes.

Manuel Gonzalez, the first rescue worker to enter the mine, became the last man to leave, today, hoisted to the surface at 12.32am local time (4.32am BST) to hugs from his comrades and Mr Pinera.

He and five other rescue workers talked the men through the final hours.

The crowd in Camp Hope, down a hill from the escape shaft, set off confetti, released balloons and sprayed champagne as Mr Urzua's capsule surfaced, joining in a rousing miners' cheer.

They rejoined a world intensely curious about their ordeal, and certain to offer fame and jobs.