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Chilean Miners Welcomed to Surface with Gifts, Invites, More
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After 69 days trapped beneath the surface, 33 Chilean miners were safely rescued, capping an incredible story that could have just as easily ended in tragedy.
As the 33rd miner was raised from 600 meters below the Chilean ground, an overwhelming eruption of joy broke out all over the world. After 69 days trapped beneath the surface, everyone was safely rescued, capping an incredible story that just as easily could have ended in tragedy.
Now that the miners have safely returned, many have been evaluated in local hospitals and are already being sent home. Even better, the group is getting all kinds of support and offers from all over, as companies are trying to show their support. For instance, Steve Jobs sent the miners the latest Apple iPods to celebrate the end of the two month ordeal.
Edison Pena, one of the trapped miners, said that Elvis Presley helped him get through the ordeal, and even led some underground Elvis karaoke with the other miners. Well, the people in Graceland learned of his fondness for the King, and now he’s headed on all-expense paid trip to Graceland to check out the heartland for himself.
The entire group is also being invited to several sporting events to visit leading European and Latin American soccer teams. They’ve even been invited to partake in the NYC marathon.
Among some of the other offers the miners have received are free sushi, Oakley sunglasses, a free Mediterranean tour, and much more. A Chilean mine owner also “reportedly sent each of the men a check for $10,000 and a local musician was said to have done the same.”
Once all the celebration dies down, you can bank of the miners getting to work on a possible book deal, as offers have already begun pouring in.
But not everyone had the same jubilation when arriving on the surface. One miner, Yonni Barrios, had the misfortune of having his affair with a mistress come to light while underground when both his wife and the mistress showed up for a vigil. Only the mistress was present when Barrios made it to the surface.
The good news is that all of the miners seem to be acclimating to normal life again after a very trying experience, both physically and psychologically. Hopefully they can all enjoy the perks that many companies and individuals are offering them and continue to recover from the experience by celebrating and spending time with their families.
