The Youngest and the Oldest

The capsule kept cycling. Jimmy Sánchez, 19, the youngest, came up fifth, shortly after 4 a.m.; he had been a miner for only five months and had recently become a father. Mario Gómez, the oldest, came up ninth, around 8 a.m., and fell to his knees in prayer. Each man was checked, taken by stretcher to a field hospital, and later flown by helicopter to Copiapó, 60 kilometers away, for 24 to 48 hours of observation. None needed immediate treatment. When the 18th miner surfaced, the mining minister said the operation was ahead of schedule.