The underground ordeal for the 33 Chilean miners may be coming to an end but they still face months of physical and psychological rehabilitation, an expert warned yesterday.
The rescue will see each miner transported 2,041feet up a shaft in a steel capsule but that will only be the beginning of their journey to recovery, mine rescue consultant Robert Murray Willis said.
After two months in confinement the miners are likely to be angry and argumentative, with the media maelstrom and the likely attention of Hollywood film producers only confusing the situation.
“They’ve had an extremely torrid time and it’s not going to be an easy journey once they’re out. It’s going to be tough,” said Mr Murray Willis, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent.
“They are going to be very angry, very argumentative and there will be a lot of petty jealousies.
“The attention they get from their loved ones will vary and that’s where the jealousies and anger will come in.”
The immediate physical problem will be adjusting to the light.
“They may need to be blindfolded as they reach the surface in order to prevent eye damage after such a long period in near-darkness,” Mr Murray Willis said.
“They will also be very tired and very weak and will need intense medical attention as they adjust to light and fresh air.”
Mr Murray Willis, who has trained and led underground rescue teams in California, said some of the miners will cope better than others with different levels of education and family support.
But surprisingly, he predicted that most will want to get back to what they know and before long will return to the mining industry.
“They do hard toil under risky, hazardous, nasty conditions,” he said.
“They dig and pick and work incredibly hard in order to complete their shift early so they can go back and have a few beers before going back to their families.
“Underground is what they know and their inclination will be to go back underground. Their skill is mining. They will want to return to it. “The first month and the next two months are going to be tough.
“But once they’ve gone past that three month stage, there’s going to be the need to earn money again.”
The miners will also have to deal with the media attention.