Miner Rescued Alive After 14 Days Trapped in Flooded Mine

A miner has been rescued alive after surviving 14 days trapped deep underground following a mine collapse in Mexico, in what has been described as a remarkable survival story.

The incident occurred at the Santa Fe mine, where 25 workers were inside the mining tunnel when it suddenly collapsed. While 21 individuals managed to escape, four miners were trapped beneath the surface.

Rescue teams were initially able to save one of the trapped workers, José Alejandro Cástulo Colín, after five days.

However, the search continued for the remaining miners, leading to an intense and prolonged rescue effort.

After nearly two weeks, divers located Francisco Zapata Nájera, 42, who had been trapped approximately 985 feet (300 meters) underground. He was found on Tuesday, April 7, following an extensive and challenging operation.

Francisco survived in complete darkness and isolation by climbing onto a ledge, where he found a small pocket of air above the freezing water level.

Rescuers revealed that he carefully conserved the battery of his helmet lamp, keeping it switched off most of the time and only turning it on occasionally to assess his surroundings.

More than 300 rescue personnel—including specialized divers and state and federal forces—were involved in the operation.

According to reports, Francisco turned on his helmet light when he heard rescuers approaching through the tunnel.

Footage captured the emotional moment divers reached him, finding the exhausted miner seated above the water line in the darkness.

Upon being discovered, he told his rescuers:
“I never lost faith.”

Rescue teams then carried out an additional 21 hours of delicate and complex operations to safely extract him from the mine.

On Wednesday morning, Francisco was finally brought to the surface, where he was welcomed with applause from his family and the rescue teams.

He was immediately attended to by paramedics, stabilized, and later airlifted to Mazatlán General Hospital for urgent medical care.

Authorities also confirmed that at least one person lost their life in the tragic incident.

See video of the event below……..

Miner Rescued Alive After 14 Days Trapped in Flooded Mine in Mexico pic.twitter.com/8V7gaf7JU8

— Iamelizabeth (@elizabethblogng) April 12, 2026