Two survivors look back to a harrowing time

I saw a television interview on the Hope Channel this week with the two Australian miners who were rescued from the Beaconsfield mine after a rock fall hemmed them in, in 2006. Here is a link to a story about the incident in the Australian Geographic online publication:

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/on-this-day/2013/05/on-this-day-beaconsfield-miners-rescued/

The television programme was the first time I had seen these two brave men Brant Webb and Todd Russell interviewed about their experience at any length, since it happened. No doubt they were extensively interviewed for news stories at the time.

Great reunion: Brant Webb and Todd Russell reunited with family after being rescued from the Beaconsfield mine in Australia in 2006. Photo Getty Images.

But their viewpoint on life during and since their experience really inspired me.

It's true what they say that our experiences can help us to push on or make us hide under a blanket.

These two men appear to have just got on with life. However, no longer in the mining industry, as I understand.

But I'm sure they must have been changed by what happened to them in many ways.

It was amazing how they used humour as part of dealing with their ordeal, at the time, while still in their underground cage waiting to be rescued. Russell told the story about Webb, as an asthmatic, had become upset and Russell threatened him: "If you don't settle down, I'll have to give you a kiss." Apparently, this was enough to settle Webb down!

In another part of the interview, Russell said the two understood the messages they were getting from people on the outside was with the intention of trying to keep them calm but the men became frustrated with not being told the truth about their situation.

It was also inspiring how the basic values in life become important when mortality comes to call. I believe this was evident when Webb said, "the greatest thing anyone can do is put his/her life on the line for someone else".

The men spoke about the feeling of seeing their families for the first time and the thousands of people that turned out to welcome them out of what could have become their eternal grave.

I remember at the time, how glad I felt for the families of these two men.

Brant Webb said there are people that do their kind of work that don't get to go home from something like this... a horror very real for the families of the 29 Pike River miners that never made it out of that mine, here in New Zealand.

Although it's a big ask to expect other people to put their lives on the line, there also hasn't been any closure for these families.

We wish for them a more settled and peaceful year in 2016.

Would love to know what you think about rescues of this kind. Should they be attempted in highly dangerous conditions to rescuers' lives or not, because there are differing opinions on this?

Beating the Odds

BTO.