Every Man Had a Job

Florencio Ávalos was second in command. Yonni Barrios, who had trained for six months to care for his elderly mother, became the group's medic. José Henríquez, a preacher, led daily prayers, and the oldest miner, Mario Gómez, organized a small chapel. Jimmy Sánchez, 19, the youngest, tested the air every day. Teams patrolled the tunnels, prying loose stones that might fall.