On Aug. 5, 2010, 33 miners were sealed underground after the collapse of the San José copper-gold mine in Chile. They were presumed dead for 17 days, until a drill broke into their emergency shelter, and rescuers discovered signs of life. The next 52 days were a multinational effort led by Chilean engineers and rescue teams to bring the men to the surface.
Reportedly, one billion people were watching worldwide when the rescue capsule first surfaced, marking a historic moment of global hope and anticipation.
In the comprehensive account of the 2010 disaster, hear from survivors, families and rescuers as they detail their experiences over the 69-day recovery mission. This includes six of the miners' first international documentary appearances. Plus, watch never-before-seen footage filmed on the cell phones of those trapped nearly half a mile beneath the surface.
Among the featured accounts in the series is Jeff Kofman, then ABC's International Correspondent and the first international journalist on the scene, who reported from Chile as the rescue unfolded.
The series comes from the Emmy Award-winning team at Blast Films and premieres Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. EDT on National Geographic, with all episodes streaming next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
"Chilean Mine Rescue: Race Against Time" is a part of National Geographic's "Race Against Time" franchise, which also includes "Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time" and "Tsunami: Race Against Time."
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of National Geographic, Disney+, Hulu and this ABC station.