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Between A Rock And A Hard Place: The Harrowing Tale Of The Chilean Mine Accident

caption: Mario Gómez, the eldest miner, was the ninth to be rescued from the San José Mine during 'Operación San Lorenzo'
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Mario Gómez, the eldest miner, was the ninth to be rescued from the San José Mine during 'Operación San Lorenzo'
Wikimedia Commons/Gobierno de Chile (CC BY 2.0)/http://bit.ly/1G8kkaZ

In August 2010, the world’s attention was captured by the 33 Chilean miners trapped 2,300 feet underground at a mining facility located north of Chile’s capital, Copiapó.

Five years later, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Héctor Tobar’s new book, "Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free," unveils the true story of each of the men.

After 69 days, all 33 miners were successfully rescued from the mountain’s depths. While still trapped inside, the miners made a pact that they would not individually sell their story for fame or money, but would stand together to adequately portray the events that took place.

After interviewing each miner on site in Chile, Tobar has answered many questions the media had during the rescue effort, while also describing the struggle of group dynamics the miners faced while trapped inside.

Tobar spoke at The Elliott Bay Book Company Sept. 14.

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