Summary
A miner named Francisco Zapata Nájera was rescued by Mexican army divers from a flooded tunnel at a gold mine in Sinaloa, Mexico, after being trapped for 14 days. The rescue operation involved efforts to locate him by spotting his torchlight, and extensive pumping of water to lower the flood levels. There is still one miner missing from the incident.
Key Facts
- Francisco Zapata Nájera was trapped 985 feet underground in a collapsed mine in Sinaloa, Mexico.
- The collapse happened when a tailings dam, which holds mining waste, burst.
- Twenty-five workers were in the mine at the time; 21 escaped, while four remained trapped.
- José Alejandro Cástulo was rescued after five days, and one miner died.
- Zapata alerted rescuers with his torchlight after 13 days.
- Rescuers initially provided Zapata with food and water because they could not immediately bring him out.
- Large pumps were used for 20 hours to reduce the water in the tunnel before Zapata was safely extracted.
- Zapata was taken to a hospital, where he was found to be frail but stable.
