WHO DRINKS KANGEN WATER

When news first broke that a group of men were trapped in a Chilean mine and that it would likely take weeks to free them, former Miss Chile used her connections to get alkaline ionised water down to them. After making initial contact with the Chilean government she was able to meet with the President. With approval, he helped design a system to send alkaline ionised water down to the miners through a long tube from the surface. Water was delivered through this system every day until they were finally rescued after 69 days under ground.

On 17th September 2010, one of the drills broke through to the men via a 17-inch hole, and that was widened over the next several weeks to the required 28 inches. From there, a few days were needed to remove the drill bit from the hole, and then a rescuer was sent down in a tube, dubbed the Fenix, built specially for this purpose. The first man, Florencio Avalos, began his ascent a little before midnight on Oct. 12. He reached the top around 30 minutes later, met by his family, news cameras from around the world, and the president and first lady of Chile.Around 24 hours later, Luis Urzua became the last man to hit the surface. As he did, the 69-day nightmare of the San José Mine officially reached its end.

Many of the miners struggled to readjust, feeling withdrawn and suffering flashbacks and nightmares. After darkness fell, Barrios, for one, would sometimes wake in the middle of the night and put on his old helmet, just sitting there with his helmet lamp on, suddenly screaming and punching the couch cushions. Many of the miners rescued by late Wednesday afternoon had few evident medical problems. Even so, all of the miners will be evaluated by specialists, including ophthalmologists, dermatologists and psychologists.

They are being housed in a brand-new ward that was completed two months before the August 5 collapse at the San Jose mine. Some miners may be released as early as Thursday afternoon, Manalich said, while others will stay longer at the hospital. That includes at least two men who need dental surgery and one miner, who is expected to remain hospitalised through the weekend. That miner’s symptoms emerged four days later, and he was already being treated with antibiotics and improving about 24 hours before being brought to the surface, Manalich said.