Mincon drill, a prized Chilean memento

WHILE the world was moved as the Chilean miners got back above ground it was particularly satisfying for management and staff of Mincon, who produced a drill which was used to reach the stranded men back in August.
Technical director, Joe Purcell, said that he was delighted they had been involved. “It was tremendous, no doubt about it. We were involved very early and it was great that they got out,” he said.
The drill they produced is being kept by the Chilean Government as a historical memento.
Shannon Chamber CEO Helen Downes paid tribute to the company.
“Mincon fully deserves the praise that it received on the airwaves and elsewhere, in the days leading up to and during the perilous rescue operation. Joe and his team can pride themselves on the fact that their engineering capability, developed here in Shannon, has saved the lives of the 33 trapped miners. The holes drilled with the Mincon product provided the all-important communication link through which food, water, medicines and most of all, hope, was passed to the trapped men,” she said.