Qa'da 05, 1431, Oct 13, SPA -- Their return heralded by a siren's blare and the relieved cries of a happy nation, the first of 33 miners began emerging into a cool desert night early Wednesday after being trapped underground for 69 harrowing days. Florencio Avalos was the first to make the bumpy 16-minute ride to the surface as eager family members and anxious strangers watched from around the world the developments at the San Jose mine. He emerged wearing green coveralls, blinking in the bright lights and to the cheers and applause of the rescue team, CNN reported. Avalos beamed as he walked on the earth's surface for the first time in more than two months. He hugged his family and then Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. "We had promised to look until we found them," Pinera said. "We can all feel proud to be Chilean." Avalos appeared strong, walking without help and embracing many of the rescue workers who witnessed his arrival. He was then put on a gurney and wheeled into a separate room where doctors will examine him. The 31-year-old miner became a cameraman during the isolation, filming videos of the miners to be sent up to rescuers and relatives at the surface. His brother, Renan Silva, is also trapped in the mine. For the 33 men, the only contact with the outside world since the beginning of August was through a small bore hole through which they were sent food, water and other supplies. A letter sent by one of them said they would take a vow of silence, to never to fully reveal the details of their underground misery. High above the miners, the buzz of electrical generators brought in by hordes of media began to drown out other sounds Tuesday. About 1,500 journalists from 39 nations gathered to tell a story of survival and family members held their breath.
