I imagine the last person down there is going to be a medical professional. They’ll probably switch off in shifts, since it’s going to take over a day to get everybody out of there. One doctor for 33 people for 33 hours would end up being pretty useless after a while.
I’d do it and I’d do it just fine. I’ve crawled through spaces in caves about the size of the rescue capsule before. Knowing that a) there was an escape hatch if I did get stuck and b) I was going to help people would get me through any worries or antsiness.
How does the escape hatch work? It’s in the bottom, last time I heard. Do they just pull a lever, ride down the shaft like a waterslide and yell “whee!”? Or, would they be lowered down on a rope somehow? I only saw one heavy cable going down the shaft, for holding the torpedo.
I stayed up till 4:00 am watching this. I was in awe of the bravery of Manuel Gonzalez who was the first guy down. It hadn’t been done with the weight of a man in the cage yet and he stepped from safe ground into the unknown and will be the last man out as far as the reports are saying.
Manuel deserves all the praise and honours that will come his way. Fair play to all involved. A truly excellent example of human ingenuity and bravery. When we do things well we are a great species.
God, no, blindfolds no fucking way. I’ve worn blindfolds for games, but always being able to take them off when I wanted to; I would totally refuse to wear one in a situation in which scratching my forelegs or rearranging my hair would be pretty nigh impossible.
I hate being tied (no problem climbing rock walls without a harness, but put a harness on me and the only reason I don’t start hyperventilating straight away is that I don’t allow myself to) and have had a couple of panic attacks in situations in which I felt trapped, but had an MRI once and mostly I was sad that it was over just as I was falling asleep… zzzz… mgrmgs, half an hour mo’, doctor…
I’d be perfectly happy to let someone else take the ride while I prepped the material. Seriously. No, no, you go be a hero, I’ll make sure the puréed apple and the blood-test materials are all ready, noooo problem. I’d do it if ordered to, but rather not.
There’s a camera on top of the capsule, pointing up the shaft. It illuminates the passage. The journey seems really smooth, with no rotation evident at all.
Very well put. I second that thought. Especially since that’s the only way out. Staying behind isn’t really an option.
I hope the enthusiasm and welcomes continue for all the miners. It would suck if all the V.I.P.S. left and #23 emerges to find no one to greet him except the paramedics and his wife.
The OP was not asking about whether the miners would get in it. He was talking about the doctor that would have to get in it on the surface to go down to evaluate the miners.
Now, of course, we know that six brave souls did exactly this - and stayed until all the miners were out. My admiration for the last rescue worker to leave is enormous.
I second that thought. Especially since that’s the only way out. Staying behind isn’t really an option.