Chilean Mine Collapse
Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release
On August 5, 2011, the San Jose Mine, a small copper operation in northern Chile owned by Minera San Esteban Primera suffered a cave-in (Weik, 2010, p.65). Thirty-three workers were trapped 2,200-feet underground although facts, footage, and speculations of the disaster unraveled on the surface, which was covered by news stations around the world.
As most of the world watched through the eyes and words of reporters, hoping for the miner’s safe rescue and return, many had doubts. “While few Chileans dared say it out loud, most of the country felt the miners were probably dead. But Fidel Báez believed in his heart they were alive” (Yang, 2010, p.1). As the first few days turned into weeks, family members and loved ones of the 33 trapped miners held vigils outside of the mine entrance, at a make shift camp, which they named “Camp Hope” (Yang, 2010, p.1). Families, along with the rest of the world watched and waited for information on the proposed rescue plan.
During those darkest days of not knowing, the families must have found comfort with each other. As other families of trapped miners were the only people who could understand what each individual was feeling and the uncertainty that no one wanted to concede. As the rescue efforts continued what information and details were given the families who lived at Camp Hope. This saga closely followed would show classic patterns of human behavior under extreme pressure with an exact ending of this drama, especially the timing, remaining uncertain. Going forward, the story is not about life and death. It is about endurance, resilience, and the power of hope.
For 17 days loved ones of those trapped should have received counseling to pray for the best, but be prepared for the worse. Any information obtained by the experts should have been shared with all families of the trapped miners. Grief counseling would have been a necessity. Once that drill
On August 5, 2011, the San Jose Mine, a small copper operation in northern Chile owned by Minera San Esteban Primera suffered a cave-in (Weik, 2010, p.65). Thirty-three workers were trapped 2,200-feet underground although facts, footage, and speculations of the disaster unraveled on the surface, which was covered by news stations around the world.
As most of the world watched through the eyes and words of reporters, hoping for the miner’s safe rescue and return, many had doubts. “While few Chileans dared say it out loud, most of the country felt the miners were probably dead. But Fidel Báez believed in his heart they were alive” (Yang, 2010, p.1). As the first few days turned into weeks, family members and loved ones of the 33 trapped miners held vigils outside of the mine entrance, at a make shift camp, which they named “Camp Hope” (Yang, 2010, p.1). Families, along with the rest of the world watched and waited for information on the proposed rescue plan.
During those darkest days of not knowing, the families must have found comfort with each other. As other families of trapped miners were the only people who could understand what each individual was feeling and the uncertainty that no one wanted to concede. As the rescue efforts continued what information and details were given the families who lived at Camp Hope. This saga closely followed would show classic patterns of human behavior under extreme pressure with an exact ending of this drama, especially the timing, remaining uncertain. Going forward, the story is not about life and death. It is about endurance, resilience, and the power of hope.
For 17 days loved ones of those trapped should have received counseling to pray for the best, but be prepared for the worse. Any information obtained by the experts should have been shared with all families of the trapped miners. Grief counseling would have been a necessity. Once that drill
References: Weik, J. (2010, August). Over 30 workers trapped after Chilean copper mine collapse. American Metal Market, 5(224), 65. Yang, J. (2010, Oct). From collapse to rescue: Inside the Chile mine disaster. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/news/world/chile/article/873382