Chilean miners

Edison Peña was a chilean miner stuck 2,300 ft. underground for almost 69 days. He survived being trapped through prayer, exercise, and his love and desire to see his girlfriend once again.

August 5th, 2010 , a chilean mine collapsed in San Jose, Chile, leaving 33 miners trapped. Of these 33 was Edison Peña. At only 34 years old, Peña was stuck underground with 32 other men and little contact with the outside world. He missed his girlfriend, Angelica, terribly. They were able to send letters to one another through a small hole at the top of the collapsed mine. These small packages in which they were able to send letters to one another were called palomas, meaning carrier pigeon. Besides letters, a camera was also sent to Peña in the palomas. Peña was able to document how 33 men lived together in a confined space 2,300 ft. underground for almost 3 months.

Edison Peña was able to document the lives of the trapped miners through a camera sent to him through palomas. He was able to document how the miners slept on small cots and decorated each of their small living areas. He photographed his own. Around his own cot were pictures and letters of his girlfriend, clothes, water bottles, and a picture of his favorite musician, Elvis Presley. In a New York Times article, it is stated that, “They decorated the rocky walls with pinups, drying laundry, Chilean flags and letters and mementos from loved ones.”

Edison Peña was a natural born runner. He couldn’t bare being trapped underground for so long, so instead of waiting around to be rescued, he ran 3-6 miles everyday. “He ran several miles a day through the underground tunnels, viewing his daily routine as part of a larger spiritual struggle with the mine” said the New York Times article. He was even referred to as “The Runner” by the other trapped miners. His tremendous amount of exercise paid off because he was one of the first to be released from the hospital after being rescued October 13th, 2011.

On October 13th, 2010, Peña was the 12th miner to be rescued from the mine. He came out singing an Elvis Presley song and was obviously so excited to be out of the mine. Since being rescued, Peña became a star in the US going on late night shows like David Letterman and showing of his Elvis impersonation skills. Only after one month of being rescued, Edison Peña ran in the New York marathon and finished in 5 hours and 40 minuets in November.

A year after being rescued and becoming a sensation in the US, chilean miner, Edison Peña, returned home to his simple life in Chile with his girlfriend, Angelica. After being caught running in NYC’s Central Park, Peña was interviewed and stated in a New York Times article “I turned to drinking and drugs after struggling with the traumatic nature of my time underground” The article also said that Peña “did not come to grips with the traumatic nature of his time underground until after last year’s marathon. He turned to drinking and drugs and checked into a psychiatric clinic, which he described as the low point since being freed from the mine” Since then, Peña has made substantial changes in his life and even stated, “I’m here despite the fact that I’ve fallen down to show that I’ve risen up” This is a beautiful story of how even though one may fall, one still has the chance to rise up again a changed man. The story of Edison Peña is an inspiration