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All thirty-three miners underground in Chile for 69 days have been rescued. One by one, over a 22 hours, the men into freedom after spending over two months 700 metres underground. The men were met with applause and hugs from rescuers and family before being put on a stretcher and taken to hospital for two days of medical . They were all in good health, although one had pneumonia and several had problems. Their story had the world since the mine collapse in August. Their rescue attracted a TV audience on a with Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon or a football World cup Final. Television stations across the globe were reporting record viewing figures as people were to their TV sets.

Luis Urzua was the last man to be rescued. The operation worked and was the climax to months of careful preparation to the men. No one has ever spent so long so underground and survived. Chilean president Sebastian Pinera was with seeing the men freed. He said: "We have done what the entire world was for. The 70 days that we fought so hard were not in . We had strength, we had spirit, we wanted to fight, we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the thing." The president told Urzua "You are not the same, and the country is not the same after this. You were an . Go hug your wife and your daughter." Mr Pinera also had a for Victor Segovia, the 15th miner out: "Welcome to ."