We're sending our love down the well

May 8, 2006 9:01 AM

15 days ago, there was a relatively small earthquake near Beaconsfield, Tasmania, which left 3 miners trapped in a gold mine. The situation looked grim after the body of one of the miners was recovered. But after 5 days, there was elation as the other two were found, still alive, buried one kilometer underground in a small cage. Australia's major commercial networks immediately sent their top news celebrities to the small mining town, assuming there would be a quick and easy rescue. In hindsight, they were perhaps a bit over enthusiastic. Accusations of a media circus, and chequebook journalism soon followed. After a couple of days of nothing happening, the media even started turning on their own. The story took an unexpectedly sad twist this weekend when one of Australia's most well known journalists died at the site from an apparent heart attack. But tonight, after 15 days underground, it seems the rescuers are finally breaking through the rock to reach the unfortunate trapped miners.
posted by Diag (19 comments total)

Accusations of a media circus, and chequebook journalism soon followed.

Aww, they're just like us!
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 9:06 AM on May 8, 2006

Previously.
posted by dobbs at 9:08 AM on May 8, 2006

If this gets deleted, Diag, just repost the links in the other thread. (Oh, and no need for all those paragraph breaks; they just take up space on the front page...)
posted by mediareport at 9:18 AM on May 8, 2006

They got free iPods. That's what counts. I just wonder if they will be charged for the music that was loaded on them.
posted by srboisvert at 10:37 AM on May 8, 2006

Well the free Ipod thing was both a blessing and a curse. Sure they were free, but they were loaded with 5gb of "Timothy!" covers.
posted by Gungho at 11:56 AM on May 8, 2006

They're all rescued now, according to the BBC.
posted by matthewr at 12:39 PM on May 8, 2006

Some humor on the wikipedia entry:
These two miners were finally freed after 14 days, failing in an attempt to beat the record of 20 days set in France in 1906.
posted by 445supermag at 1:03 PM on May 8, 2006

fabulous title, by the way.
posted by pinky at 2:11 PM on May 8, 2006

If only one of the miners had requested that some songs from Sting be on the ipods they might have gotten out sooner (from the above linked episode-"He's a greater digger").
posted by 445supermag at 3:33 PM on May 8, 2006

The iPods were loaded up with Foo Fighters and the miner's will be heading off down the pub with Dave Grohl.
posted by tellurian at 4:07 PM on May 8, 2006

Sorry folks, I did search for dupes. But they're out now, which is the important thing.
posted by Diag at 5:14 PM on May 8, 2006

The ABC's Media Watch had an amusing segment on the media circus last night, including a funny swipe at that appalling android, Naomi Robson. (Here is the knockout blow).

(ps: watch out for the wonderful NT News in the first linked transcript)
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:18 PM on May 8, 2006

I am pleased for their sake that they are out (and their families), but I am mostly pleased that we can now stop being bombarded with a 24/7 media circus with nothing more to say than "miners still not free, more news in 10 minutes".
posted by dg at 8:28 PM on May 8, 2006

Aww, they're just like us!

The American version (fiction).
posted by LeLiLo at 9:03 PM on May 8, 2006

I'm glad they're out now. They do seem to have been in remarkably high spirits - good on them.
posted by greycap at 11:01 PM on May 8, 2006

Good news - now for the nightly news to put together a music montage. Fuck the Foo Fighters, it HAS to be "Subterranean Homesick Blues", right?
posted by bunglin jones at 12:33 AM on May 9, 2006

In a bid to be proclaimed the coolest people currently on the face of the planet, the rescued miners spent their first day out at a funeral for their fellow killed in the collapse. Further proof that almost nobody on the planet is tougher than the Australians.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:16 AM on May 9, 2006

This would be the link that I mistakenly bolded.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:17 AM on May 9, 2006

The American version (nonfiction, and the original media circus).
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:51 AM on May 9, 2006