Life in the Chilean Mine

The 33 miners trapped for months in Chile’s San Jose mine enjoy many comforts of normal, above-ground life that are meant to keep the men physically and mentally strong as rescue efforts continue. The miners get whatever treats can be sent through a small hole reaching to the surface, including ice cream, hot meals, television, phone calls, and video chats. (A phone was taken apart and reassembled underground, as were their cots.) The lead psychiatrist working on the rescue says the goal is to give them "no possible alternative but to survive" until they’re pulled to the surface. The miners have seen Troy, The Mask, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but aren’t allowed to watch anything depressing, which would be “mental cruelty.” They have a daily routine that helps maintain sanity and a sense of togetherness—necessary because their survival depends on one another.