Rescuers within metres of trapped miners
Two Australian gold miners spent a 12th night trapped underground as rescuers worked in relays tonight to cut the final stretch of an escape tunnel by hand.
Officials had hoped to free Brant Webb, 37, and Todd Russell, 34, before dawn, but said progress chipping through the solid rock had been slower than expected.
The close-knit Beaconsfield community had gathered at the gates of Beaconsfield Gold Mine to cheer the men, but heavy wind and rain caused the carnival atmosphere to fade and most people returned home.
Officials had warned that the rescue operation was at a delicate and dangerous stage, as rescue workers toiled on their backs in a cramped tunnel almost a kilometre underground to cut through the final three metres (10ft) of solid rock using hand tools.
“This is a miracle of some amazing proportions,” said union official Bill Shorten, who had hoped Webb and Russell would be out in time see the sun rise on Sunday.
“This is massively complex,” he told Nine Network television. “This is going to be a case of muscle versus rock.”
Doctors were put on standby to treat the pair and warned they may have suffered psychological trauma from their ordeal.
Stephen Ayre, chief executive of the nearby Launceston Hospital, said the pair would be assessed for a range of medical problems including deep vein thrombosis and renal failure.
“I think probably one of the first things would be the psychological trauma or the shock of suddenly being inundated and being the focus of attention,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
The men, who have spent more than 260 hours in a tiny cage entombed by tons of rocks and rubble, will be treated in the same room so they can continue to support each other.
Despite their ordeal, officials said Webb and Russell have remained upbeat - buoyed by the prospect of fast food, a beer with a rock star and an emotional reunion with their wives and children.
They chatted and joked today with rescue workers through a narrow pipe and even requested that ambulance drivers stop at a fast food restaurant on the way to hospital, once they are brought to the surface.
“Todd wants steak, egg and chips and he wants to go to Maccas,” paramedic Peter James told reporters, referring to the McDonald’s burger chain. “He asked for us to go through a drive-thru with the lights and sirens going.”
Their plight and sense of humour has captivated the nation and media executives are reportedly scrambling to secure exclusive rights to interview the pair. The Australian newspaper estimated that a combined magazine, television, book and movie deal could net hundreds of thousands of dollars (euros) each for the men.
Webb and Russell have been trapped underground since April 25 when a 2.1 magnitude earthquake sent tremors through the century-old mine in the southern state of Tasmania and caused a rockfall that killed their colleague, Larry Knight, 44. His body was recovered two days later, but the family has delayed the funeral until the rescue mission is over.
Suffering little more than scratches, they survived for five days on a single cereal bar and by licking water seeping through the rocks around them. Rescuers discovered they were alive last Sunday when a thermal imaging camera picked up their body heat, and on Monday began passing them food and water through a narrow pipe forced through the rubble and rock.
Creature comforts such as iPods, an inflatable mattress, egg and chicken sandwiches and even ice lollipops followed and the men are now eating five meals a day, including hot soup and omelettes.
On hearing that Webb had asked for music by the rock group Foo Fighters to be downloaded onto his iPod, the band’s lead singer, Dave Grohl, sent a message of support to the men.
“I read it to them and they were both stoked by that,” said mine manager Matthew Gill. “It was basically, ‘Thinking of you and anywhere, anytime to catch up with two cold beers’.”
