33 Chilean miners were able to communicate to rescue crews that they were alive and well 17 days after the collapse of a copper and gold mine 530 miles north of Santiago. Citing a “miracle”, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera showed a message reading, “We are fine in the refuge, the 33 of us,” from the miners. A camera lowered into the hole some 2257ft below ground showed them to be in relatively good spirits. However, the effort to create a hole large enough to rescue each of the men may take upwards of 4 months, making the earliest rescue possible somewhere near the 21st of December.

The miners told authorities Monday afternoon that they had eaten canned tuna, milk and biscuits stored in the refuge after the disaster. They used a backhoe to dig for trapped water.

The miners were reached after the 7th attempt.

Conditions below ground resemble confined spaces astronauts face in space shuttles, and apparently NASA has been asked for advice on how best to maintain their mental and physical states. Rescue equipment from other countries is being expedited for the rescue effort. The miners are as yet unaware that their ordeal may not be over for some time.

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