probably unprecedented in scope. never have so many been trapped for so long, so deeply. reporter: the miners themselves are apprised of the rescue plans and approve. translator: we are more calm with the video you sent us. everything upstairs is exactly the way we imagined it. reporter: september 6th, a problem. the b drill, which seems to be making the best progress, breaks and must be repaired. obviously they are a little anxious because of the problems we had with the plan b, but everything is understandable right now for them. and still on schedule? of course. reporter: throughout the month, the waiting and drilling go on. electricity and lights are fed down to the men who have lived in utter darkness, except for occasional use of their helmet lamps. through the small bore holes, mail is sent from loved ones above, clean clothing is pushed down. oxygen, water as well. the miners have asked for a chilean flag and some religious
everything upstairs is exactly the way we imagined it. reporter: september 6th, a problem. the b drill, which seems to be making the best progress, breaks and must be repaired. obviously they are a little anxious because of the problems we had with the plan b, but everything is understandable right now for them. and still on schedule? of course. reporter: throughout the month, the waiting and drilling go on. electricity and lights are fed down to the men who have lived in utter darkness, except for occasional use of their helmet lamps. through the small bore holes, mail is sent from loved ones above, clean clothing is pushed down. oxygen, water as well. the miners have asked for a chilean flag and some religious objects, including a crucifix. concern over their health persists. many have lost weight and are sending messages about their struggle. they are not sleeping well, they are very nervous. in some ways, depressed.
[speaking in a foreign language] such a dramatic moment. manuel gonzalez being lowered few the escape shaft, 10:19 p.m. eastern time. he was the first of six rescuers who would descend into that darkness. until that moment, the capsule had been tested unmanned and it had never been all the way down. the tests had gone well but there are never guarantees on any rescue operation, especially one this scale. the world waited with fingers crossed and what we saw minutes later was truly extraordinary. here s gary tuchman.
reporter: a phone line is dropped down, and rescuers above hear as if from beyond the grave, the trapped, exhausted miners singing the national anthem. reporter: soon, a video camera is lowered, and the first, ghostly pictures emerge. [speaking in a foreign language] reporter: the miners, through strict discipline and rationing, have survived 17 days on two days worth of food. now supplies pour down the pipeline while gratitude rises up. hello to my family, my children, my wife, my mom, one man says before he breaks into tears. thanks so much from all of my heart, another adds in the ghostly darkness. miners have organized a chain of command. each one has been given a job.
men emerging one by one from weeks of darkness. we ll start at the beginning with tom foreman. reporter: august 5th, 2:00 in the afternoon. 2300 feet underground, a shaft collapses in the san jose copper and gold mine. 33 miners are somewhere behind the rubble. their condition, unknown. the chilean president promises every effort to rescue them, but new collapses complicate the formidable task. august 12th, the miners families have set up camp on the surface to keep watch on the drilling. a week has passed and an official says there is little chance the men survived. relatives later say they argued with that assessment from the start. translator: i always told the media, every time i was asked, i know my husband is fine. i know he s alive. and i know he s keeping up all the others in the mine, because that s the kind of person my husband is. reporter: franklin lobos