▁sh aft s ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁provided ▁with ▁l add ers ▁due ▁to ▁safety ▁reg ulations . ▁At ▁first ▁there ▁seemed ▁to ▁be ▁no ▁hope ▁for ▁the ▁remaining ▁ 5 0 ▁min ers . ▁Several ▁attempts ▁and ▁deliber ations ▁about ▁possible ▁rescue ▁positions ▁within ▁the ▁mine ▁and ▁the ▁successful ▁rescue ▁of ▁min ers ▁at ▁the ▁one ▁or ▁other ▁locations ▁gave ▁rise ▁to ▁a ▁sequence ▁of ▁dram atic ▁and ▁techn ically ▁challeng ing ▁rescue ▁miss ions ▁with ▁h ither to ▁un seen ▁world wide ▁media ▁coverage . ▁ ▁The ▁float ▁rescue ▁ ▁After ▁one ▁day , ▁seven ▁more ▁min ers ▁could ▁be ▁located ▁with ▁a ▁small ▁access ▁bore ▁hole ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁Haupt bre ms berg , ▁a ▁central ▁transport ▁hub ▁in ▁the ▁mine . ▁While ▁bro ader ▁rescue ▁dr illing ▁was ▁under - way , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁falling ▁water ▁level , ▁they ▁sent ▁a ▁message ▁to ▁the ▁surface , ▁they ▁would ▁try ▁to ▁escape ▁on ▁their ▁own . ▁Four ▁for emen ▁from ▁above ▁secret ly ▁took ▁the ▁initi ative ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁men ▁half way ▁with ▁a ▁makes h ift ▁float ▁and ▁get ▁the ▁men ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁surface . ▁ ▁The ▁air ▁b ubble ▁ ▁It ▁had ▁been ▁calculated ▁that ▁four ▁more ▁workers ▁could ▁have ▁surv ived ▁in ▁an ▁air ▁b ubble ▁on ▁their ▁working ▁place . ▁A ▁bore ▁hole ▁d ril led ▁to ▁that ▁section ▁revealed ▁life ▁signs . ▁These ▁min ers ▁( only ▁three ▁had ▁actually ▁surv ived ) ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁surface ▁through ▁an ▁escape