Jubilation as trapped miners are freed

THE first of the Chilean miners trapped underground for 69 days were today winched to fresh air and freedom amid cheers from their families and countrymen.

Florencio Avalos, 31, wearing a helmet and sunglasses to protect him from the glare of rescue lights, smiled broadly as he emerged from the missile-like escape capsule and hugged his sobbing seven-year-old son Bairo and his wife before embracing Chilean president Sebastian Pinera and rescuers.

After the capsule was pulled out of a manhole-sized opening at the San Jose mine, Mr Avalos emerged as bystanders cheered, clapped and broke into a patriotic chant of "Chi! Chi! Chi! Le! Le! Le!"

Shy Mr Avalos gave a thumbs-up as he was led to an ambulance and a series of medical tests after more than two months deep below the Chilean desert - the longest anyone has ever been trapped underground and survived.

Mr Avalos was chosen to be first because he was in the best condition. He has been so shy that he volunteered to handle the camera rescuers sent down so he would not have to appear on the videos that the miners sent up.

President Pinera praised Mr Avalos' sons' ecstatic greeting for their father, especially young Bairo.

"I told Florencio, that few times have I ever seen a son show so much love for his father," he said.

"This won't be over until all 33 are out. Hopefully the spirit of these miners will remain forever with us. This country is capable of great things."

Minutes earlier, mine rescue expert Manuel Gonzalez, of the state copper company Codelco, grinned and made the sign of the cross as he was lowered into the shaft to the trapped men, apparently without incident. He was followed by Roberto Ros, a paramedic with the Chilean navy's special forces. Together they are preparing the miners for their rescue - expected to take as many as 36 hours in all.

Five miners had been freed by 8.15am (GMT) this morning.

The second man pulled to freedom was Mario Sepulveda Espina, who climbed out of the capsule jubilantly hugged his wife, President Pinera and rescuers - then handed them pieces of rock from his underground home.

"We made a promise to never surrender, and we kept it," Mr Pinera said.

The third miner to be rescued, Juan Illanes, is a former soldier who urged his trapped colleagues to be disciplined and organised. He hugged his wife and then climbed on to his cot, smiling broadly as he was wheeled away.

The fourth miner to reach the surface was the lone Bolivian among the 33 men.

Carlos Mamani was greeted by his wife Veronica, with a hug and kiss that knocked off her white helmet as Chile's president and first lady held small Bolivian flags. Mr Mamani also gestured with both forefingers at the Chilean flag on his T-shirt and shouted "Gracias, Chile!" before back-slapping his rescuers.

The fifth to emerge was the youngest miner Jimmy Sanchez, 19, who had only been working at the mine for five months and had been showing signs of anxiety.

Shift foreman Luis Urzua has been chosen as the last man to come out. His leadership was credited for helping the men endure 17 days with no outside contact after the collapse. The men made 48 hours' worth of rations last before rescuers reached them with a narrow borehole to send down more food.

Janette Marin, sister-in-law of miner Dario Segovia, said the order of rescue did not matter. "This won't be a success unless they all get out." she said.

The paramedics can change the order of rescue based on a brief medical check once they are in the mine. First out will be those best able to handle any difficulties and tell their comrades what to expect. Then, the weakest and the ill - in this case, about 10 suffer from hypertension, diabetes, dental and respiratory infections and skin lesions from the mine's oppressive humidity. The last should be people who are both physically fit and strong of character.

Chile has taken extensive precautions to ensure the miners' privacy, using a screen to block the top of the shaft from thousands of journalists.

The miners will be ushered through an inflatable tunnel to an ambulance for a trip of several hundred yards to a triage station for a medical check. They will gather with a few relatives in an area also closed to the media, before being taken by helicopter to a hospital.

Each ride up the shaft is expected to take 20 minutes and authorities expect they can haul up one miner an hour. When the last man surfaces, it will end a national crisis that began when 700,000 tons of rock collapsed on August 5.

The only media allowed to record them coming out of the shaft will be a government photographer and Chile's state TV channel, whose live broadcast will be delayed by 30 seconds or more to prevent the release of anything unexpected.

The capsule - the biggest of three built by Chilean navy engineers - was named Phoenix. It is painted in the white, blue and red of the Chilean flag.

Men likely to face mental health problems

The underground ordeal for the 33 Chilean miners may be coming to an end today, but they still face months of physical and psychological rehabilitation, an expert has warned.

The 2,041ft each miner is being transported up a shaft in a steel capsule will only be the beginning of their journey to recovery, mine rescue consultant Robert Murray Willis said.

After two months in confinement the miners are likely to be angry and argumentative, with the media maelstrom only confusing the situation. He said the miners would be very tired and weak and would need intense medical attention as they adjust to light and fresh air.

They will have to overcome problems sleeping as their body clocks will have been disrupted by a lack of daylight. And in the months and years ahead as the euphoria passes many could suffer mental problems including anxiety, and flashbacks.

One miner, Yonni Barrios will have some explaining to do as both his wife and his mistress having been waiting for him.

HOW DRAMA UNFOLDED

• August 5: Thirty-three men are trapped when part of the San Jose mine collapses.

• August 7: A second collapse blocks access to lower parts of mine.

• August 22: Rescuers hear tapping on a drill at a depth of 688 metres. The miners tie a note to a listening probe, saying "all 33 of us are well".

• August 23: Food, water and communication equipment are sent down.

• August 30: Rescuers decide the best way to free the miners is to drill three shafts.

• September 26: The first of three rescue capsules arrives.

• October 9: A drilling rig breaks into their underground chamber.

• October 11: A test rescue capsule is sent nearly all the way down.

• October 12: Just before 12am, Florencio Avalos enters the capsule.

• October 13: Mr Avalos reaches the surface.