Chilean Government-Industry Partnership  - Rescue of the

Chilean Miners at the San Jose Mine, Chile

2011 Special Citation

In this era of rapid world-wide communications, the mine cave-in at the San José mine in Chile might have been soon forgotten were it not for the determination of Chile’s President, Sebastian Piñera, who put Mining Minister Lawrence Goldborne in charge of rescue efforts.

Mr. Goldborne assembled the most skilled team, state-of-the art equipment, and resources possible to mount a successful three-pronged rescue effort.  The world-wide mining community and mining suppliers were a vital part of the rescue by supplying experienced, creative personnel, specialized equipment, technical assistance, and expedited delivery of equipment needed to complete the rescue. The results are well known – a successful rescue extracting 33 men who might have been entombed some 2,000 feet below the Atacama Desert.

Quoting Victoria Times’ Ian Haysom: “The Chilean story was a miracle. A miracle the men survived. And a miracle of ingenuity and commitment. We held our collective breath. We put the dramatic rescue at the top of our newscasts and our front pages. The story could have been a Hollywood movie, with a big drawn-out glorious finale. The men had beaten the odds.”

For their impressive contributions, committed collaboration with each other and the Chilean government during the mine rescue, and for advancing underground mine rescue technology, the Mining Foundation of the Southwest acknowledges the companies listed below with a MFSW Special Citation

Aries Central California Video

Atlas Copco

Center Rock, Inc.

Drillers Supply International

Geotech Boyles Brothers

Layne Christensen Company -Jeff Hart

NASA

Schramm, Inc.

UPS

Zephyr Technologies

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