Two Australian miners trapped in a small cage deep underground for 14 days walked out of the mine today after rescuers freed them shortly before dawn.
Brant Webb (37) and Todd Russell (34), wearing yellow jackets and mining helmets with their lamps shining brightly, walked to a large board and removed their name cards - declaring they had ended their shift underground.
Their wives rushed to hug them before scores of rescuers descended on them hugging and shaking hands.
"This is the great escape. This is the biggest escape from the biggest prison we have, the planet," said Australian Workers Union national secretary Bill Shorten.
A third miner, Larry Knight (44), was killed in the cave-in. Local media said Mr Webb and Mr Russell were believed to have attended Mr Knight's private funeral today after being discharged from hospital.
The miners were trapped 3,000 feet underground in a wire cage, about the size of a double bed, on April 25th after a cave-in caused by an earthquake at the Beaconsfield Gold Mine on the southern island of Tasmania.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard praised the rescue operation as a triumph of "Australian mateship" as miners from Beaconsfield and mine rescue experts from around the country worked against the odds to save the lives of two colleagues.