Today in History: The Chilean miners are finally rescued

Five years ago today, all 33 of the Chilean miners who were trapped for 69 days in a cave in northern Chile were rescued. The world watched with bated breath as the last of the miners was pulled up. The miners defied expectations -- surviving longer after being trapped underground than anyone in recorded history.

The story of their rescue is so captivating that it was even made into a film called "The 33" starring Antonio Banderas.

The nightmare began when the mine collapsed on August 5, 2010. Shift leader Luiz Urzua told CNN that he felt a rumble -- bigger than anything he's felt before. Moments later, he knew something was wrong.

%shareLinks-quote="The mountain always gives you a warning. The mountain doesn't collapse on its own. This is something we know as miners -- there is always something" type="quote" author="Luiz Urzua" authordesc="Chilean miner" isquoteoftheday="false"%

The news of the collapse and the miners entrapped below quickly spread. The international media covered the story closely and the miners went to extreme standards to survive -- fighting against starvation, rationing whatever food they had left 33 ways, clinging onto whatever hope and faith they could muster up.

After days of no news and no signs of life from the miners, Chilean was preparing itself to memorialize the victims. But on August 22 -- 17 after the miners became trapped, a drilling tool emerged from the mine with a note attached which confirmed that miners were alive.

The note read:

Those words became the motto of "Los 33" and soon, cameras were sent down to make contact and capture the movements of the miners. As rescuers and world-class mining and engineering experts devised plans for the extraction, the miners kept occupied and morale up by performing a series of routine jobs.

Following three separate drilling attempts and grueling hours of work, rescuers eventually drilled an escape path and began to extract the miners one-by-one on October 12. The capsule was painted the colors of the Chilean flag -- red, white and blue.

See photos from the incredible rescue of the trapped Chilean miners:

As they exited the cave one-by-one, the miners were greeted by cheers from a crowd that included international media outlets, friends, relatives and Chilean president Sebastian Pinera, as well as millions who were watching the rescue live on television.

Nearly all the miners were in relatively good heath, only wearing dark glasses to protect their eyes from the sun's bright lights.

The men were hailed as heroes, honored with trips around the globe and had parades held in their honor. But five years later, not all is well with The 33.

%shareLinks-quote="In Chile, they've become objects of scorn...People believe they were pampered afterwards." type="quote" author="Hector Tobar" authordesc="Author, Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free" isquoteoftheday="false"%

Hector Tobar, who wrote a book about the miners, told PRI that many people don't realize how much the men suffered. For most, their fame was not followed by fortune.

CNN reports that many of the miners still carry around psychological scars from the ordeal. Some have trouble making ends meet, living off government pension. Urzua hopes that the upcoming film starring Antonio Banderas will put some money in their pockets.

Miner Alex Vega told CNN that he keeps himself occupied, working as a mechanic.

%shareLinks-quote="It keeps my mind busy...If I'm not working, memories start flooding my mind." type="quote" author="Alex Vega" authordesc="Chilean miner" isquoteoftheday="false"%

Another miner, Jorge Galleguillos, echoes Vega's thoughts:

%shareLinks-quote="I'm alive thanks to God. That's the important thing. But I should be doing better. I should be doing better." type="quote" author="Jorge Galleguillos" authordesc="Chilean miner" isquoteoftheday="false"%

No matter the fame or the strife that follows, the story of the miners will forever be remembered as one of strength, will and extreme courage.

Take a look back at the trapped Chilean miners' rescue from 2010 in the video below:

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