Rescued from a Chilean mine

Over two months have passed since the August 5th collapse of the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile, when 33 miners were trapped 700 meters (2,300 ft) below ground. The men were kept alive over that time by supplies delivered through narrow holes drilled down to them, and kept hope through video conferences with family - until last night, when the first of the 33 miners was successfully lifted to the surface in a specially-designed rescue capsule. Friends and relatives, many of whom had camped nearby for months, slowly let their cautious optimism become joy as they were reunited with their loved ones. As of this writing, at 9:30 pm, Eastern time, all of the 33 men have now made it safely to the surface. (49 photos total)

Chilean miner Osman Araya (right) is welcomed by his wife Angelica as he comes out of the Fenix capsule after been brought to the surface on October 13, 2010 following a 10-week ordeal in the collapsed San Jose mine, near Copiapo, 800 km north of Santiago, Chile. Araya was the sixth from the 33 trapped miners to be lifted from underground. (HUGO INFANTE/AFP/Getty Images)

Chilean Mining Minister Laurence Golborne (center) speaks during a press conference at the San Jose mine near the city of Copiapo on October 12, 2010. Chile was counting down the hours Tuesday to the start of a dramatic operation to winch 33 miners to the surface, with a presidential welcome awaiting them. (RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty Images) #

A police officer patrols across from where family members of 33 trapped miners set up 33 flags at the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile, Tuesday Oct. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Hugo Infante, Chilean government) #

Daniel Marin holds the flag he used during February's earthquake in southern Chile at the San Jose Mine where 33 miners are trapped near Copiapo, Chile, Tuesday Oct. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) #

Relatives of trapped miner Dario Segovia sleep in their tent at the relatives camp at the San Jose Mine near Copiapo, Chile Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) #

The son of Chilean miner Florencio Avalos, seven-year-old Bairon, shows a drawing depicting the rescue of his father, as he is examined by doctors after being brought to the surface on October 13, 2010. (ARIEL MARINKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images) #

An image taken from a video released by the Mining Ministry shows rescuers testing a capsule before attempting the rescue of the 33 miners trapped at the San Jose mine on October 11, 2010. (AFP/Getty Images) #

Lilianett Ramirez, wife of trapped miner Mario Gomez, brushes her hair as she prepares for the start of the rescue operation at the San Jose mine on October 12, 2010. (REUTERS/Luis Hidalgo) #

Journalists cover the operation to rescue the trapped miners at the San Jose mine in Copiapo October 13, 2010. (REUTERS/David Mercado) #

A view of the operation to rescue trapped miners in the San Jose mine on October 12, 2010. (REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado) #

Rescuer Manuel Gonzalez gets into the Fenix capsule, starting the rescue operation of the 33 trapped miners,at the San Jose mine on October 12, 2010. (RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty Images) #

In this photo released by the Chilean government, Chile's President Sebastian Pinera, third from right, watches a descent test of the empty capsule into the rescue hole at the San Jose mine near Copiapo on Oct. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Hugo Infante, Chilean government) #

A machinist operates the pulley attached to the Fenix capsule underground at the collapsed San Jose mine on October 13, 2010. (ARIEL MARINKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images) #

A camera set up on top of the capsule that will carry the trapped miners to the surface shows the tunnel as it is going up during a test at the San Jose Mine near Copiapo, Chile, Monday, Oct. 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Government of Chile) #

Mine workers and government officials look into the hole as the rescue capsule is lowered October 12, 2010 at the San Jose mine. (Hugo Infante/Chilean Government via Getty Images) #

A frame grab from a video camera operating inside the collapsed mine shows a miner being hoisted out of the San Jose mine in Copiapo, October 13, 2010. (REUTERS/Government of Chile) #

Miners' families and journalists watch the rescue of Florencio Avalos as the first of the 33 trapped miners to be hoisted from the San Jose mine in Copiapo October 12, 2010. (REUTERS/Luis Hidalgo) #

Residents observe the rescue of the miners trapped in the San Jose mine, on a large screen in a public square in Copiapo October 12, 2010. (REUTERS/Mariana Bazo) #

The capsule carrying a rescued miner arrives to the surface from the collapsed San Jose mine where he was trapped with 32 other miners for over two months near Copiapo, Chile on Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Roberto Candia) #

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and Mining Minister Laurence Golborne stand with the family of Florencio Avalos while waiting for the trapped miner to exit the mine in the rescue capsule October 12, 2010 at the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile. (Hugo Infante/Chilean Government via Getty Images) #

Chilean miner Mario Sepulveda (left) is welcomed by Chilean President Sebastian PiÃ±era after been brought to the surface on October 13, 2010 following a 10-week ordeal in the collapsed San Jose mine, near Copiapo, 800 km north of Santiago, Chile. Sepulveda was the second of 33 miners to be lifted from underground. (Jose Manuel de la Maza/AFP/Getty Images) #

Roxana Gomez, daughter of rescued miner Mario Gomez, cries as she watches on a TV screen the rescue operation of her father at the relatives camp outside the San Jose mine on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010. Gomez was the ninth of 33 miners who was rescued from the San Jose mine after more than 2 months trapped underground. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) #

Chilean miner Jimmy Sanchez (center left) is welcomed by his father after being brought to the surface in the Fenix capsule on October 13, 2010 after spending a 10-week ordeal in the collapsed San Jose mine. (MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images) #

People celebrate as they watch on TV the first miner to be rescued, Florencio Avalos, emerging safely to the surface at the San Jose mine in a rescue capsule, in Copiapo, Chile, early Wednesday Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) #

Mario Sepulveda, 39, the second miner to exit the rescue capsule, celebrates on October 12, 2010 at the San Jose mine. (Hugo Infante/Chilean Government via Getty Images) #

Miner Osman Araya is rescued from the collapsed San Jose gold and copper mine where he had been trapped with 32 other miners for over two months near Copiapo, Chile, early Wednesday Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Hugo Infante, Chilean government) #

Miner Jose Ojeda holds a Chilean flag as he exits the capsule during his rescue from the collapsed San Jose mine early on Wednesday Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Hugo Infante, Chilean government) #

Relatives and friends of rescued miner Mario Gomez react while watching his rescue on a TV screen at the relatives camp outside the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile, Wednesday Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) #

Alex Vega, 31, looks skyward as he becomes the tenth to exit the rescue capsule, on October 13, 2010 at the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile. (Hugo Infante/Chilean Government via Getty Images) #

Chilean miner Florencio Avalos is checked by doctors after being brought to the surface on October 13, 2010. Avalos was the first of 33 trapped miners to be lifted from underground. (ARIEL MARINKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images) #

Chilean miner Mario Gomez, the ninth of thirty-three miners and at 63 years old, the eldest of the 33 trapped miners raises his arms in celebration upon surfacing from the San Jose mine, near Copiapo, Chile on October 13, 2010. (HUGO INFANTE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Rescued Chilean miner Mario Gomez prays for a few seconds upon surfacing from the San Jose mine, near Copiapo, Chile October 13, 2010. (HUGO INFANTE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Alex Vega, 31, holds a Bible while being carried into the triage medical site after he was the tenth miner to exit the rescue capsule, on October 13, 2010 at the San Jose mine. (Hugo Infante/Chilean Government via Getty Images) #

Alex Vega (left) hugs his wife after being rescued from the collapsed San Jose mine where he had been trapped with 32 other miners for over two months near Copiapo, Chile, Wednesday Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Hugo Infante, Chilean government) #

1st Update, 4:25 pm Eastern Time

A life systems monitor linked to a high-tech chest harness shows the vital signs of rescued miner Osman Araya at the San Jose gold and copper mine where Araya had been trapped with 32 other miners for over two months near Copiapo, Chile, early Wednesday Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Hugo Infante, Chilean government) #

Rescued miner Jose Ojeda, left, is seen inside a Chilean Air Force helicopter upon their arrival to an Army airfield near a hospital in Copiapo, Chile, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) #

Bolivian miner Carlos Mamani arrives at the Copiapo hospital for a full checkup after being rescued from the San Jose mine October 13, 2010. (REUTERS/Mariana Bazo) #

A commuter reads a copy of a newspaper headlining the rescue of trapped Chilean miners at an underground station in central London, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Sang Tan) #

Relatives of miner Dario Segovia react as watching Segovia on a TV screen during his rescue operation at the camp outside the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile, Wednesday Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) #

Trapped miner Esteban Rojas kneels to pray after reaching the surface to became the 18th to be rescued from the San Jose mine in Copiapo October 13, 2010. (REUTERS/Hugo Infante/Government of Chile)#

Relatives of miner Carlos Barrios react while he is brought to surface from the San Jose mine, near Copiapo, Chile, on October 13, 2010. (HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images) #

Chilean miner Yonni Barrios kisses his girlfriend after being brought to the surface from the San Jose mine, near Copiapo, Chile on October 13, 2010. Chile. (JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Last Update, 9:40 pm Eastern Time, all 33 rescued

Samuel Avalos becomes the 22nd miner to be rescued on October 13, 2010 at the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile. (Photo by Hugo Infante/Chilean Government via Getty Images) #

Samuel Avalos is greeted after he is rescued on October 13, 2010 at the San Jose mine. (Hugo Infante/Chilean Government via Getty Images) #

Miner Franklin Lobos, a former professional soccer player, holds a soccer ball signed by family and friends as he is wheeled on a stretcher into a field hospital, becoming the 27th miner to be rescued from the San Jose mine in Copiapo October 13, 2010. (REUTERS/Hugo Infante-Government of Chile) #

Residents cheer while watching the rescue of the last miners trapped in the San Jose mine, on a large screen in a public square of Copiapo October 13, 2010. (REUTERS/Mariana Bazo) #

Family members approach the capsule containing miner Richard Villaroel as he is rescued from the collapsed San Jose mine on Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Hugo Infante, Chilean government)#

Chilean miner Richard Villarroel embraces family members after being brought to the surface from the San Jose mine on October 13, 2010. (AFP PHOTO/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE/Hugo Infante) #

Miner Luis Urzua, the last miner to be rescued, center wearing green, celebrates next to Chile's President Sebastian Pinera after being rescued from the collapsed San Jose mine on Wednesday Oct. 13, 2010. The 69-day underground ordeal reached its end Wednesday night after 33 trapped miners were hauled up one by one in a cage through a narrow hole drilled through 2,000 feet of rock. (AP Photo/Roberto Candia) #