Chile’s National Heroes
As Chile’s celebrates its Independence Day today, the country and the entire world stand in solidarity with the country’s new national heroes. 33 miners who are trapped over 2,000 feet below the surface of the Earth.
Today came with news that a 12-inch wide hole had successfully reached the trapped miners who will be celebrating their country’s bicentenary with a special meal. The miners have been provided with an impressive list of items to help to sustain their strength and survival.
- A daily 2,000-calorie diet – consisting of energy-packed nutrition shakes as well as bread, ham, fruit, etc
- Five liters of bottled water per miner per day
- Aluminium poles and canvas to assemble cots
- Toiletries including toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors
- Clothing apparel such as waterproof shoes and lightweight clothing with copper fibers to resist bacteria and fungi
- Music on iPods without earphones in order to encourage communal listening
- Lighting
- Vitamin D supplements – 250 times the usual daily dose in order to combat the lack of sunlight
- Medication in the form of syringes for tetanus, diphteria, influenza and pneumonia vaccinations
- A camera and a phone line to stay in touch with the outside world – family, rescue worker and medical personnel
- Football jerseys autographed by Chile’s national team
- A mini-projector to show sport and movies
The list is impressive since all of the items listed need to be passed through a small hole 3.19 inches wide, similar to the one in the picture below.
Source: Newsweek Magazine September 20, 2010
News Source: BBC News