The second problem was physics. The drill bit was designed for coal, not the jagged, waterlogged sandstone above the mine. Every two feet, the bit shattered. Engineers told Gill it would take 10 days. The miners had 48 hours of oxygen left.
But one man refused to accept that verdict.
When he stepped onto solid ground, a miner’s wife fell at his feet. "You gave me back my husband," she sobbed. Mission Raniganj
Suddenly, a deafening crack echoed through the tunnel. A nearby river had secretly eaten away at the rock above, and now, millions of gallons of water came crashing through the roof of the mine. The men barely had time to scream.
Gill looked at the massive drilling rigs sitting idle in the yard. "Yes," he said. "That's exactly what we’ll do." The second problem was physics
On the surface, panic erupted. The capsule was stuck on a rock spur. If they pulled harder, the cable would snap. If they lowered it, the man would drown in the rising water below.
For his bravery, Jaswant Singh Gill was awarded the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, India’s highest civilian gallantry award for rescue operations. To this day, the rescue of 65 miners from the flooded Raniganj coal mine remains one of the greatest and most audacious mining rescues in world history. They called it a miracle. But miracles, as Gill proved, are just stubborn men who refuse to let go. Engineers told Gill it would take 10 days
The crew, sweating through their shirts, manually rotated the huge winch. The capsule scraped free. Sixty seconds later, the old man’s head emerged into the sunlight. He was alive.