Chapter 1. Moving to agile
The tragedy started when the crew accidentally bored into an adjacent, abandoned mine that was flooded with water. The miners’ map told them, incorrectly, that the abandoned mine was hundreds of yards away. The men scrambled to reach the exit, but the rising water blocked the way out. Their only option was to seek out the highest point in the mine.
Word of the accident spread above ground and a rescue team was formed. The rescue team estimated where the crew was located in the mine and picked a spot to drill. Maps revealed a gas line that ran close to the target drilling point; and if their coordinates were incorrect, they might rupture the line and create an explosion. Being careful to avoid the gas line, the team began drilling a small, exploratory hole. After 90 minutes the drill broke through the wall of the tunnel, and the rescuers listened anxiously for any sounds from the miners. After minutes of sobering silence, the rescuers could hear the trapped men pounding on the drill bit with their hammers. The miners had been located. Now the challenge was to get them out of the mine before hypothermia set in.