69 DAYS OF STRESS . On August 5, 2010, 33 miners started their regular shift at a gold and copper mine under the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. It was a dangerous job but they had learned to cope with the constant awareness that something could go very wrong. And then it did. A mine collapse buried them 700 meters underground. For 17 days no one knew they were alive. They had two days of emergency food. The humidity was at 80 percent and the temperature was over 36 degrees Celsius. One miner had diabetes, another hypertension; two had a lung disease called silicosis. Some developed dental infections, others fungal infections and body sores from the conditions. They were finally rescued 69 days after the mine disaster. How did they cope? Why did they not give up? Initial Reaction When the collapse first occurred it took hours for the dust to settle. Then the shift foreman, Luis Urzua, took a crew of three to explore the site. "I saw the collapsed rock. Many thought it would be two days. But when I saw it, I knew otherwise" Important decisions were made at this point, ones which saved their lives. Critically, Urzua rationed the emergency food so they ate two spoonfuls of tuna every other day, making it last over two weeks. And they ate together, with no one taking a mouthful until everyone had their share. They used a bulldozer to carve into a natural water deposit for drinking but otherwise limited use of vehicles to protect air quality. Urzua drew detailed topographical maps of the area that included more than 2 km of tunnels, caves and a 35 square meter refuge. He planned how to use the space - a work area, a sleep area and a sanitary facility. The men were organized into shifts and a disciplined routine was set in place. They reinforced the roof, monitored gas levels and patrolled the area, checking for structural integrity.Contact Made When a rescue drill made contact on August 22 and the miners could start communicating with the outside world, they became active participants in their rescue. For example, they needed to design and create drainage and holding pools to shunt water into canals away from their living quarters in case one of the rescue alternatives was implemented, which would lead to a great deal of water entering their refuge. The disciplined structuring of their days continued. They were divided into three groups, Grupo Refugio, Grupo Rampa and Grupo 105 - named after the . "shelter," the "ramp" and "Level 105" (sections of the mine where they slept). Lights shome from 7.30am until 10pm, mimicking daylight. Urzua wrote each of the men an official job description. All had purpose and meaning in their days. There was daily contact with a doctor, a psychologist, and a miner updating technical aspects of the rescue operation. Supplies came down to theminers. They had phone and video links for communication with relatives. One watched a video of his child being born. When off duty, they slept, played games, told stories and jokes, exercised and sent messages to their families. An Elvis fan led regular sing-alongs. Realizing that their ordeal might lead to opportunity, they asked rescuers to send down a book on public speaking so they could talk effectively to the media when they emerged. Long before their rescue was assured, a psychologist with NASA who went to Chile to share NASA's experience with human isolation in extreme environments said, "I fully believe they will do it. The miners are quite hearty, quite resilient... They have shown every sign that they can organize themselves; that they are masters of their own fate."? One feature of their success was their solidarity, their "leave no man behind" culture. They argued over who would be the last man rescued, all wanting to be at the end of the line, not the beginning. They made a pact that all would share in telling their story for the inevitable film. When they emerged from the mine after 69 days trapped underground, they hired an accountant to track their earnings from public appearances and equitably distribute it among the 33. Did Urzua and the others ever doubt their future? "There were times when I flinched a little, but then I found the strength to talk to the other miners and explain to them what was going on""We had strength, we had spirit, we wanted to fight, we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing. "1. Based on elements of stress discussed in the text, what were the stressers in this case? 2. What happened to the level stress among the workers ever time? Why