Abstract :
San Jose isn´t the first mining accident to require a complex rescue operation. Still, there are aspects of this case that set it apart from everything the mining world has experienced so far. The technique described in this article, which the whole of Chile is hoping will save the life of 33 miners following at least 12 weeks of confinement 700m underground, has rarely been used. And, in the few instances that it was (such as in the 2002 Quecreek mine accident in Pennsylvania, US), there were fewer miners involved, trapped closer to the surface and never for longer than just a few days.
