Mario Gómez, one of the 33 miners rescued in Chile in 2010, has died

Chilean Mario Gómez, the oldest of the 33 miners who were trapped for more than 60 days at a depth of 700 meters in the San José mine in 2010 and whose rescue shocked the world, died this Saturday, September 21, at the age of 74.

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Mario Gomez

The La Candelaria funeral home in Copiapó, located in the Atacama region (north), reported the death on its social networks, although the causes of the death are unknown.

“We extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends,” the company said.

Gómez, who was 63 years old when the collapse occurred, was the ninth of the miners to be rescued from the bowels of the earth in a miraculous and pharaonic rescue.which aroused the pride of an entire country and was followed on the Internet by more than a billion people.

The collapse at the old gold and copper mine in northern Chile occurred on August 5, 2010, and the 33 miners were rescued safely, one by one, on October 13 of that year.

The miners became national heroes for their resilience and teamwork and travelled around the world telling the tale of their exploits.

However, the vast majority were unable to return to mining and survive on a small lifelong state pension.

Gomez suffered from silicosis after years of working underground and in 2017 became oxygen-dependent.

The accident, which the San Esteban company escaped with impunity, marked a turning point in safety standards at Chile’s powerful mining company, the world’s largest copper producer.

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