How the rescue effort unfolded

The miners as they emerged

The miners as they emerged

00.11 (04.11 Irish time)

FLORENCIO AVALOS

The miners’ second-in-command, Mr Avalos (31) was chosen as the first to be rescued because he was seen as physically and mentally fit in the event of anything going wrong in the journey upwards.

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Mr Avalos is married with two children. His brother, Renan Avalos, was also in the mine.

01.15 (05.15 Irish time)

MARIO SEPULVEDA

An electrical specialist, Sepulveda (40) was known as "the presenter" because he acted as a spokesman and guide on videos the miners sent up. A natural media performer, he captivated Chileans with his engaging personality in the videos, during which he took viewers on tours.

02.05 (06.05 Irish time)

JUAN ILLANES

A former Chilean corporal who served in the Beagle Conflict, a border dispute with Argentina, Illanes (52) kept the miners upbeat with his singing and his cheerful outlook.

He described his trip in the rescue capsule as "like a cruise" and leapt up and down to show how well he felt.

03.01 (07.01 Irish time)

CARLOS MAMANI

The only Bolivian among the miners, Mamani (23) had been working in the mine for only five days when the collapse happened.

His father-in-law told reporters that he had been shocked and traumatised by what had happened and would not work in a mine again.

04.11 (08.11 Irish time)

JIMMY SANCHEZ

The youngest of the 33 trapped men, Mr Sanchez (19) had been working as a miner for only five months.

Reported to have found the ordeal more difficult than most of his companions, Mr Sanchez said it was the prospect of seeing his two-month-old daughter that kept his spirits up.

05.34 (09.34 Irish time)

OSMAN ARAYA

Araya (30) has three children, including a one-year-old. In a video message he told his wife and baby daughter Britany: "I will fight to the end to be with you."

He had planned to quit the mine at the end of August because of the risk.

06.21 (10.21 Irish time)

JOSÉ OJEDA

A widower with no children and a diabetic who had medication sent down while trapped, Ojeda (46) has been mining for 27 years. He wrote the message that alerted rescuers: “Estamos bien en el refugio los 33” (all 33 of us are safe in the shelter).

Two of his nephews were on hand to greet him.

07.02 (11.02 Irish time)

CLAUDIO YÁÑEZ

A drill operator known as “the smoker” by the group, Mr Yáñez (34) asked for cigarettes to be sent down and expressed disgust at the nicotine patches he received instead.

A father to two daughters, his girlfriend Cristina Nunez proposed to him while he was underground and he plans to marry her soon.

07.59 (11.59 Irish time)

MARIO GOMEZ

The oldest of the trapped miners, Gómez (63) has worked in mines since he was 12.

He has silicosis and has been on antibiotics and had been thinking of retiring in November. When he reached the surface yesterday, he knelt in prayer and quietly said: "I have come back to life."

08.52 (12.52 Irish time)

ALEX VEGA SALAZAR

A heavy machinery mechanic, Vega (31) was doing repair work on a truck when the mine collapsed. After nine years as a miner, he suffers from kidney problems and hypertension. His wife Jessica said her husband had been saving to buy a house and move out of his parents' home.

09.30 (13.30 Irish time)

JORGE GALLEGUILLOS ORELLANA

Married with several children, Galleguillos (56) has been working in mining for 16 years. He broke a rib in a mining accident last year and was on medication for hypertension, declaring in one video that he had been feeling unwell. Chilean officials have promised to help his son, who is a university student.

10.12 (14.12 Irish time)

EDISON PEÑA VILLARROEL

The fittest of the miners, Peña (34) has reportedly been running 10km a day underground.

He was said to be among the most depressed of the trapped men and asked rescuers to send down a photo of the sun and asked for Elvis Presley songs. “Thank God we’re alive,” Peña said.

10.56 (14.56 Irish time)

CARLOS BARRIOS CONTRERAS

Barrios (27), who began mining only 10 months ago, has a five-year-old son. Barrios is a part-time miner who also drives a taxi and likes horse racing. His mother, Gricelda Godoy, told La Tercera newspaper her son had said he did not want any more to do with the psychologist who has been working with the miners.

11.31 (15.31 Irish time)

VÍCTOR ZAMORA BUGUEÑO

Zamora (33) and his wife are expecting a daughter and plan to name her Paz Victoria (Peace Victory).

A mechanic who only went into the mine on the day of the accident to fix a vehicle, he was also a victim of the Chile earthquake in February.

A carrier pigeon handler and poet, he sent up poems to his wife and son.

12.09 (16.09 Irish time)

VÍCTOR SEGOVIA ROJAS

Segovia (48) kept a journal of his experiences while trapped in the mine and sent updates to the rescuers. An electrician and father of four, he told his family: "This hell is killing me. I try to be strong but when I sleep I dream we are in an oven and when I wake I find myself in this eternal darkness."

12.50 (16.50 Irish time)

DANIEL HERRERA CAMPOS

Herrera (27) worked as a truck driver. In the mine, he was given the role of medical assistant. He complained about the psychologist dealing with the men, saying it was causing hysteria. “Don’t ask me any more about how I amfeeling, because in the letter that I read. . . it felt like you were advising me via this 'doc'."

13.39 (17.39 Irish time)

OMAR REYGADAS ROJAS

A bulldozer operator, Reygadas (56) knelt on the ground clutching a Bible when he left the capsule yesterday. His children kept a diary of their lives while he was in the mine. “He wants to have a meal of heart of veal with avocado and watch a lot of television,” his family said.

14.51 (18.51 Irish time)

ESTEBAN ROJAS CARRIZO

When underground, Rojas (44), the head of maintenance in the mine, asked Jessica Ganiez, his girlfriend of 25 years, to marry him. “When I get out of here we'll buy you a wedding dress and get married in church.” “I have tried to hint at it many times, but it never happened,” his girlfriend said.

15.32 (19.32 Irish time)

PABLO ROJAS VILLACORTA

Rojas (45) had worked at the San José mine for only six months when the accident happened and he became trapped alongside his cousin Esteban.

His ascent to the surface yesterday took only 12 minutes and when he left the capsule, he was embraced by his 21-year-old son, Mitchel Rojas, a medical student.

15.59 (19.59 Irish time)

DARÍO SEGOVIA ROJO

Segovia (48) had some experience of mining disasters because his father was once trapped in a mine for a week.

His sister Maria said before his rescue that when he emerged from the mine, “I’ll tell him I love him, that I’m very proud of you.” Then, she said, “I’ll kick his backside” so he never goes into a mine again.

16.36 (20.36 Irish time)

YONNI BARRIOS

Barrios (50) saw his private life catch up with him while he was underground. His wife found out he has a mistress because the other woman showed up at the mine site as well.

Martha, his wife of 28 years, refused to meet him. “I’m happy because he was saved. It’s a miracle. But I won’t attend the rescue,” she said.

17.09 (21.09 Irish time)

SAMUEL ÁVALOS ACUÑA

His girlfriend wore a matching white hard hat and bomber jacket as she waited for him at the surface, and once Ávalos was relieved of his harness he rewarded her attention to detail by kissing her passionately on the lips.

17.38 (21.38 Irish time)

CARLOS BUGUEÑO ALFARO

Carlos Bugueno Alfaro (27) is the 23rd man to be rescued from the mine. He has grown one of those thin beards that wraps around the jawline. Described by his brother as "a man of few words", he doled out the bare minimum two hugs – relative and president are the recipients – before making his exit.

18.03 (22.03 Irish time)

JOSÉ Henríquez GONZÁLEZ

A part-time preacher, as well as a miner of 33 years standing, he led services underground. He went straight into the arms of his tearful-looking wife.

His journey to the top took just eight minutes. It took 25m59s from Bugueno arriving at the surface to Henriquez emerging.

18.24 (22.24 Irish time)

RENÁN ÁVALOS SILVA

Ávalos is the brother of Florencio – the first man to reach the surface. It must have been an agonising wait for the family. Renán had only been working at the mine four months when it collapsed.

18.49 (22.49 Irish time)

CLAUDIO ACUÑA CORTÉS

He was greeted by his partner, mother, and screaming child. Acuña looked quite emotional.

He celebrated his 56th birthday in the mine on September 9th – his partner was hoping to get him a signed shirt from his favourite football team Colo Colo to celebrate the occasion.

19.18 (23.18 Irish time)

FRANKLIN LOBOS

He was the 27th man to be rescued from the mine. He arrived to football chants from the rescue workers. He was also given a football and did a bit of keepy-uppy, before the obligatory hug with the president and the mining minister.

19.32 (23.32 Irish time)

RIchard Villarroel Godoy

He is 23-years-old and has worked in the mine for two years before the cave-in. He never told his mother he was a miner. His partner, Dana Castro, is heavily pregnant. Like many of the miners his relatives placed a photo of him at the surface of the mine.

Expected to emerge overnight

Juan Aguilar (49), Raul Bustos (40), Pedro Cortez (24), Ariel Ticona (29), Luis Urzua (54)

What they said

“Some people lost their faith, but some never lost it. We have not cracked. We promised to find them and we have."

– Chilean president Sebastian Piñera shortly after he greeted the first miner to emerge.

“This is a miracle from God."

– Alberto Avalos, the uncle of Florencio Avalos, a father of two who was the first to emerge, shortly after midnight

"I have been with God and I've been with the devil . . . The only thing I'll ask of you is that you don't treat me as an artist or a journalist, but as a miner. I was born a miner and I'll die a miner."

– Mario Sepulveda, the second miner to reach the surface

“This rescue operation has been so marvellous, so clean, so emotional that there was no reason not to allow the eyes of the world –which have been watching this operation so closely – to see it."

– President Sebastian Piñera shortly after he greeted the first miner to emerge.

“Last night the whole world watched. It was a thrilling moment and we're hopeful that those celebrations duplicate themselves throughout the rest of today."

– US president Barack Obama

“I and the Bolivian people will never forget this great effort."

– Bolivian president Evo Morales, who was on hand to greet Carlos Mamani, a Bolivian national

“Perhaps the rescue will finish today, 13 October 2010, Add up the numbers: 13 + 10 + 10 makes 33 – a magical number.”

- Chile president Piñera again

“We're up to eight. We're speeding up the rescue. Even the most fragile groups are OK. Hold on, miners!"

– Laurence Golborne, Chile's mining minister, finds time to tweet.