BY MICHAEL SHERIDAN

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, October 17th 2010, 12:21 PM

Government of Chile

TV grab taken from a video released Sunday Aug. 29, 2010 by Chile's Government shows some of 33 trapped miners the San Jose mine in Copiapo, Chile.

Marinkovic/Getty

Chilean miner Mario Sepulveda gives his thumb up as he is examined by doctors after being brought to the surface. CLICK TO SEE MORE PICS OF THE MINE RESCUE.

They inspired hope around the world, but according to one Chilean miner, the experience was "pure hell."

"Super Mario" Sepulveda, the second miner to emerge after more than two months trapped underground in Copiapo, Chile, has spoken out for the first time about the horrific ordeal.

"There are certain things which need to be told," he told London's Daily Mail on Sunday. "I want the world to know the truth about what we went through down there."

It was "just another regular day at the mine," Sepulveda said. Then "a colleague came running through the cloud screaming, 'Cave in!'"

Sepulveda and 32 others, who were scattered throughout the mine, were able to find safety. He told the Daily Mail he tried to find a way out, but was forced to tell the other miners they were trapped.

"I could see two big rocks up ahead that were blocking the shaft," he said. "That was a moment of utter despair. I came back down and had to tell the other guys there was no way out."

For the next 15 days, hope seemed fleeting. While the miners struggled to survive and seek a way out, depression overcame many of them.

"If one was down, the others rallied," Sepulveda said. "Every time that happened, we worked as a team, to try to keep the morale up."

The men were trapped in stifling heat and pure darkness, and used light from their headlamps has "treats."

"We are used to working in darkness -- we are miners," he said. "But we used the light to work by and eat and to reward ourselves and boost morale."

The men had a limited supply of water, stored in two oil drums.

"That was one act of God right there. We had water," Sepulveda said. "It tasted foul but it didn't poison us, even though it was tainted. We allowed ourselves a few small sips each day."

The sound of drilling from rescuers could be heard from time to time, but it wasn't until more than two weeks later that aid actually reached the miners.

"The 17 days before that moment were pure hell," Sepulveda said. So much so, the miners had actually sworn to maintain a "Pact of Silence" about that time.

However, that "silence" sparked rumors among family members and in the press that the miners were having – and hiding -- sex.

"Nothing like that ever went on," Sepulveda said, who found the rumors offensive. "We were too busy trying to survive to think of sex... Saying we had sex down there with each other is just plain wrong."

The reason to keep quiet about that time, he said, was because of how some of the men behaved. Sepulveda would not talk about specifics, but indicated there were fights and the "younger, less educated" men had a lot of difficulty dealing with the situation.

"It was a pact of brotherhood," Sepulveda said.

Although he was dubbed "Super Mario" by the press, and lauded by men who were trapped with him for his bravery and humor, Sepulveda insists he was no "superstar."

"I am a miner," he said. "I will always be a miner... I am a humble man and I am happy to have played a small part in an event which has made the world come together, if just for a moment."

msheridan@nydailynews.com; or follow him at Twitter.com/NYDNSheridan

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/10/17/2010-10-17_miner_super_mario_sepulveda_first_days_in_chilean_mine_were_pure_hell_calls_talk.htmll

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=1452925&forum_id=2#16317041)

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=1452925&forum_id=2#16317175)

SUPER MARIO, YOUR PRINCESS IS LUIGI IN DISGUISE

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=1452925&forum_id=2#16317207)

EDIT:

And you know, he's cornholing her as it turns out.

http://img1.jurko.net/mario.gif

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=1452925&forum_id=2#16832933)

Terrifying

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=1452925&forum_id=2#16961434)

wtf is up with the author using an em dash at the beginning of something and a double hyphen at the end of it?

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=1452925&forum_id=2#18173266)