Shift leader helped Chilean miners stay calmn

COPIAPO, Chile (AP) — The crew of Chilean miners was pinned nearly a half-mile underground by 700,000 tons of rock after what felt like an earthquake in the shaft above them, and had no real hope they'd ever be found. Luckily, though, the men had Luis Urzua.

Urzua, 54, was the shift commander at the time of the disaster, and used all his wits and his leadership skills to help his men stay calm and in control for the 17 harrowing days it took for rescuers to make their first contact with them.

It was no surprise, then, that Urzua was the last of the 33 miners to leave the San Jose gold and copper mine after 69 days of confinement.

Urzua — after shaking hands and embracing rescue workers — climbed into a cramped cage at 9:46 p.m. and was hauled up from a narrow hole drilled through 2,000 feet of rock.

He arrived at the top 11 minutes later to jubilant cheers, songs and applause. He then stood beside Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, who led the ecstatic crowd in the national anthem.