joy, and chants and plenty of hugs. >> it is a spectacle that will go on all day, and well into tomorrow, until all 33 men are finally free. a rescue operation like this has literally never happened before. >> diana alvear is at the san jose mine, where she's been watching this historic event unfold. diana, i know this particular story is very near and dear to your own heart. >> reporter: that's right, vinita and rob. i'm a chilean-american. and i never thought i would be able to see anything like this happen and be able to witness it with my and eyes. five miners have been rescued. 18 more to go. everyone here is singing. they're excited. they'll be here until the last miner emerges from under ground. chileans celebrated in the streets, as the miners, trapped underground for 69 days, were brought to the surface, one by one, at the san jose mine. they blew their horns, sang songs and cheered, as they watched on large plasma screens. families of the men were at the site to greet their husbands, brothers and fathers as they emerged. >> we are going to work all around the clock for 48 hours, during the rescue process. >> reporter: rescuers finished reinforcing the mine early monday. as each miner is being hauled up, a small camera will be focused on his face, so rescuers can watch for panic attacks. they will wear oxygen masks and will have two-way voice communication. the rescue of each man will talk about one hour. 25 minutes for the capsule to descend. time to load the miner. and then, 15 minutes to bring him to the surface. they've been told to keep their eyes closed. and were given dark glasses to avoid damaging their eyesight, after being in a dimly-lit tunnel for so long. the miners will spend two days at a nearby hospital for observation. the miners aren't coming out of the mine empty-handed. they will carry with them letters from loved ones, religious statues and even rocks from the mine. the miners in this experience taught the world that sometimes miracles do happen. and i have an interesting tidbit to share with you. chile and bolivia doesn't have the best relations. but that's change after tonight. one of the miners is bolivian. he was the fourth man rescued. as he was lifted to safety, all of the chileans broke into the bolivian anthem. they were cheering and waving the bolivian flag. it's really another incredible moment in this incredible story. >> going towards easing tensions there. i want to ask you about the ride itself, though. it looks so easy. so well-choreographed. but this is actually a difficult ride for the men. they're coming up through the capsule. the entire thing is rotating. it's at an angle of like 80 degrees. what is it like for them in the capsule as they're making the 15-minute journey you mentioned? >> reporter: it's a harrowing journey. the longest 15 minutes of their lives. they've been underground for so long. that's why they sent the mining experts and the medical assistants down to work with the men and tell them what to expect when they're in there. the capsules, as you mentioned, they're not comfortable in the least. they're about the width of a basketball hoop. you're pretty much cramped in there. and they have to wear the special suits and special eyeglasses. they had a camera inside the capsule to monitor them throughout that ride. so, it's definitely not the kind of experience you want. a rollercoaster, when the best part comes at the end when you get to come out of the capsule. we've seen it five times. we expect to see it 18 more times. >> diana, we've heard about the medical impact of the ordeal. but the men coming out of the ground seem excited and jubilant. they've been chanting and hugging people. they seem healthy and in a great spirit. >> reporter: yeah. you know, the first four rescues, you saw these men come out. they were stoic. some were excited. one acted like a rock std like . it was so fun to watch mario sepulveda. he came out. immediately opened up his bag and pulled out rocks to give to president pinera, as a memento. he said, take the rocks. he hugged him repeatedly. and broke into a soccer chant. you're really seeing a variety of reaction. there was a very dramatic moment with the fifth rescue. that began with the miners they had concerns about their health. and that fifth miner, he was brought to the surface. and minutes later, all of a sudden, we were live. we had the lights on. and the chilean police came over and said cut all the lights. as soon as we cut all of the lights, a helicopter flew over our head. we later learned it was carrying that fifth miner. and the reason they wanted the lights off is because the pilots were using night vision goggles. they didn't want to take any chances that the lights could damage the fifth miner's eyesight. another incredible moment in this story. >> it says a lot about the brotherhood that has formed. in a sense, a lot of them would be fighting who was the last one out. you can imagine they would all want to be out first. >> thank you, diana, for that report. we'll check back with you later in the half hour. thanks. 69 days underground in a dark, hot and humid cave will certainly leave its mark on every 1 of these 33 men. >> each of them will undergo weeks of medical and psychological monitoring. our medical editor, dr. richard besser, tells us what the doctors will be looking for. >> you really have to think about this as a series of 33 separate rescues. not just one, big event. and this is really an extraordinary feat of medical planning and coordination. the most critical period is that period from coming up from the floor of that mine to reaching the surface. that ascent. and had they come up after day 17, it would be much more dangerous than it is now. there's been so much planning and so many steps taken to assure that the risk is minimized. what you're really worried about as they come up in that tube, is that their blood pressure might drop. kind of that feeling when you stand up suddenly, and you feel light-headed, you get that rush in your head. when that happens to you, you lie down and the blood gets back into your brain. when you're trapped, in a rescue capsule, you can't do that. they've taken precautions to make sure that the risk of that is very small. it's demanding on their body. the change from that heat, the hot, humid environment. that environment can breed infections, especially skin infections. it can be very difficult, especially if you have underlying medical problems like asthma, heart disease or lung disease. some of the men in that mine do have medical conditions. thankfully, during the period of 50 days they've had contact with the surface, they've been able to get special nutrition to build up their strength. they've prepared them for this day to be brought up to the surface. >> dr. richard besser. all of the men will spend time at a hospital that's about ten minutes away. two floors of that hospital have been specially prepared for them a in wards that are being kept dark as a movie theater, because of the vision issues, as they get used to the light. let's get a check on the morning's weather from around the country. showers and thunderstorms around detroit, indianapolis, cincinnati, louisville and memphis. much lighter showers, extending from birmingham, into the carolinas. gusty winds and rain in south florida, from miami to west palm beach and ft. myers. more record highs in california. >> 88 in sacramento. 68, boise. and 72 in albuquerque. cooler in the middle of the country, with mostly 60s, from fargo to omaha and detroit. 60s also in the northeast. and 80s from new orleans to atlanta. and when we come back this wednesday morning, the military's don't ask, don't tell policy, could be in its final days. and a group of sailors found drifting 100 miles offshore. plus, of course, more live coverage from chile, as they lower the cage to get another man out of that mine finally. >> you're watching a special edition of "america this morning." 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ground and have been reunited with their families. >> all the men, of course, are being taken to a hospital. they will be monitored for quite some time. the rescue will go on until tomorrow, until every 1 of those 33 men are finally free. as the world celebrates with the miners and their family, more stories are emerging about the 33 men who, more than 2 months ago, were feared dead. >> we're finding out more about their individual stories. and they're fascinating. abc's jeffrey kofman has spent a lot of time at the mine since august. and he has their stories. >> reporter: among the men who have been waiting 2,300 feet below the surface, is jimmy sanchez, youngest in the mine at 20 years old. he only started working in the san jose mine just months ago, after quitting school to support his pregnant girlfriend. his father, juan, who is working on his house, says among all of the miners, jimmy is the most emotionally distraught. he was afraid he was going to die of hunger, he said. he's been having nightmares down there. and he's been crying himself to sleep. just after the miners were found in august, we met liliana ramirez, the wife of the oldest miner, 63-year-old mario gomez. that frame held a letter he had sent her. dear leila, i'm okay, thank god. i hope to get out soon. patience and faith. johnny barrios, armed with a few months of medical training, has been acting as the group medic. when he gets pulled up that he has some answering to do. it was because of the mine collapse, that his wife found out that for five years he has had a mistress. but for other miners, it seems like the disaster has had the opposite effect. one man, esteban rojas, proposed to his partner of 25 years. he wrote her a letter saying, when i get out, let's buy that dress. we'll get married. claudio yanez had the opposite problem. despite years of asking, his girlfriend of ten years had refused to marry him. not surprisingly, all of that has changed. ariel ticona will be the last out of the mine. that means, he has to wait to meet his daughter, esperanza, which means hope in spanish. his wive was wife was eight months pregnant when the mine collapsed. tonight, it was just joy, as mario sepulveda was the second . and the man with the longest wait, is 54-year-old luis urzua, the team's foreman, who became the group's fearless leader. he got his men to work together during their almost ten weeks under ground. and he managed to keep them sane. >> it's totally natural. >> reporter: it was urzua that decided to parcel out the meager meal they found in the emergency shelter after the collapse. each man was allowed two teaspoons of tuna, half a glass of milk and half a biscuit, every two days. that may have been what saved their lives. and like a true captain of the ship, luis urzua will wait until all of his men have been taken to safety, before he takes the last ride up. >> of course, after the men emerge to the surface, they have the opportunity to see their family. then, essentially, there's immediate medical treatment. they have to make sure that these guys are healthy, which has been a concern during the entire, two-month ordeal. >> many of the men will have vision issues, blood pressure issues, hydration. and the psychological and mental factors. all that will be dealt with. the government has promised six months of treatment. you're looking at live pictures as the rescue goes on, for probably the next 36, 48 hours. we want to rejoin with diana alvear, our chilean-american on the scene. diana, it occurs to me how different these men are after two months. not only have they had a drastic weight loss on a 2,200-calorie-a-day diet. psychologically, we're hearing, six months from now, they could still be recovering from the ordeal they've been through. >> absolutely, vinita and rob. let me explain why i'm shrouded in complete darkness. what they've been doing is they've been asking us to turn our lights out, when they're about to helicopter men out of here to the nearby hospital in copiapo. that's what we're doing right now. we anticipate at any moment, one of the helicopters will be carrying one of the miners to go for further medical treatment. so, bare with us. as soon as we can, we're going to put the lights back on. back to the mental health and the emotional state, there's some concerns about that. it was a lot of fun to watch the first four miners come out. they seemed like they were doing okay. that was not an accident. they were chosen because they were healthy enough to come out and be the first ones, in case something happened in the first few rescue attempts, to be able to assist in the rescue process. now, we're in the group where there are some medical concerns. for example, some of these miners, we were told, the fifth miner, had some difficulty from anxiety, which is totally understandable, given what they've been going through for the past 68 days. so, that's where we're at right now. they're taking a lot of care to make sure that the miners get the privacy that they need and get some time away from the glare of the media, which, they have no idea how much the world is watching right now. and we know their faces. we know their names. we know their personal dramas. so, it's going to be a lot for them to have to adjust to. >> all right, diana. appreciate that report. a remarkable scene, unfolding with the images. incredible day. coming up next on "america this morning," the stories we'll be following today. >> you're watching a special edition of "america this morning." while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical 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[ female announcer ] mousse temptations by jell-o. decadently delicious. 60 calories. it's finally me o'clock. time for jell-o. try new chocolate mint sensation. now, a look ahead to the stories we'll be tracking on this very busy wednesday morning. that amazing mine rescue operation is under way in chile this morning and will go on all day. the first group of miners has been freed. but it will take until sometime tomorrow for all 33 men to be rescued. each miner is being greeted with hugs and hand shakes and tears. and will also have private time with family members, as well. they're now being quickly flown to a hospital, where they will be monitored closely for medical and psychological conditions. hurricane paula is bearing down an mexico's yucatan peninsula. the storm will brush by hundreds of resort areas. some tourists and residents have been evacuated and the number of flights have been canceled. the school chancellor in washington, d.c., michelle rhe, is expected to announce she is stepping down. she closed schools and fired hundreds of teachers. and we hear from the latest casualty of "dancing with the stars." after becoming the fourth celebrity to get the boot, "mike "the situation" sorrentino" will be live on "good morning america." we'll get to see those abs. >> good call. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll return to chile, after this. es ? well, i'm an avid catamaran sailor. i can my own homemade jam, apricot. and i really love my bank's raise your rate cd. i'm sorry, did you say you'd love a pay raise asap ? uh, actually, i said i love my bank's raise your rate cd. you spent 8 days lost at sea ? no, uh... you love watching your neighbors watch tv ? at ally, you'll love our raise your rate cd that offers a one-time rate increase if our current rates go up. ally. do you love your bank ? 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[ man ] freestyle lite test strips. call or click today. ♪ now the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving heat patch activates sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals for deep penetrating relief you can feel precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. precise. set your pace to island time. rich chocolate over creamy coconut. almond joy and mounds. enjoy more. and finally this morning, another look at the amazing mine rescue, still under way right now in chile. you're looking at live pictures of this really incredible scene. the miners are slowly surfacing, one by one, from 2,000 feet below. >> after two months after ground, they are finally reuniting with their families. as you can imagine, it is very emotional. john quinones talked with two, little girls who have been keeping vigil. >> reporter: they are the littlest victims of this tragedy. the survivors above ground. 8-year-old arlyn, who can barely contain herself, when she sees her father, claudio yanez, pop up. i love you so much. and i'm waiting for you, with tons and tons of hugs and kisses. and there's 8-year-old catalina. every day, she's boarded a bus for the hour-long ride from her home to the mine, to be closer to her father. he's the most wonderful man in the world, she tells me. i'm going to wrap myself around him, she says, and rock back and forth, back and forth, like a giant swing. and i will never let him go. john quinones, abc news, copiapo, chile. >> it won't be long now. they will be hugging their dads for real. the first trapped miner was pulled up just after midnight chile time. and was greeted with chants and hug, lots of tears. joyful scenes will be happening all day long, well into tomorrow. until, of course, all 33 men are finally free. first, each miner gets a preliminary medical check. then, is allowed to spend time with family members if they are then. >> after ten weeks around ground, the men will have serious psychological and physical adjustment. they will being flown to a hospital. and will stay there for 48 hours. meanwhile, the rescue goes on. planners say they are prepared for hundreds of contingencies. so far, the operation has gone on without a hitch. exactly what the world was >>ping for.