| Home > Community thoughts > Trapped Tasmanian miners receive iPods to keep their spirits up - an Apple PR goldmine? |
| Trapped Tasmanian miners receive iPods to keep their spirits up - an Apple PR goldmine? | | Date Created: 03 May, 2006, 01:03 PM |
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Here in Australia, we've been keeping a close vigil on a cave mine-in mine cave-in following a minor earthquake at the north of the island state of Tasmania.
Three men were trapped a kilometre down the goldmine, two of them in a small cage. The third, outside the cage, did not survive. When his death was discovered, it dashed the hopes that the other two would be found alive.
But, as luck and fate would have it, they were discovered alive, and the delicate work of rescuing them is currently under way.
The Age newspaper this morning has offered an excellent coverage of the rescue effort which has galvanised the nation, one which needs all the positive sentiments it can get, with news recently of the first Australian military death in Iraq, in rather mysterious circumstances.
The Federal Government did not cover itself in glory, transporting the wrong body home initially, following an incorrect statement by the Minister of Defence as to how the death occurred. Three inquiries are now being conducted to discover what happened, exactly. This story reminds me of the Pat Tilman saga in the US, at least with respect to the anger the parents have experienced in how their Government has kept them informed.
As yet, no Aussie media has made the comparison, despite the ease with which the internet allows such discovery.
Same goes for the delicate operation of rescue today for the trapped miners. Following the jubilation of discovery a few days ago, together with how the Sunday morning Church service was informed of their survival, I was reminded of the recent tragedy in the US where the local mining company in Sago, West Virginia at first thought its trapped miners were alive. But only one survived, and 44 12 others died, with the local township riding a roller-coaster ride of emotion. Hearings into it are currently underway.
I am hoping we don't see a similar turnabout here. The two survivors are apparently in good spirits, being fed and watered, and having their spirits kept alive with the addition to their survival kit of Apple iPods configured with their favourite music.
Imagine being trapped in a small cage for a week in apparent darkness (not knowing your mate has died, by the way) and hoping that those on the surface will effect a rescue.
I wonder who the clever emergency worker was who suggested buoying their spirits with music on iPods? Or did the trapped mines ask for them, or did their children suggest it?
Clearly, there is much more to this story to be told (as always happens in stories of "heroism" when salt-of-the-earth types are involved). I wonder if Apple Australia will touch this PR goldmine (sorry, couldn't help myself) and offer them 1000 iTunes songs when they (fingers crossed) get to the surface and greet their families and rescuers.
And what do you put on iPods for trapped miners? Certainly not Jimmy Dean's Big Bad John!
Good luck to all those involved - the hard work is underway, with more to come psychologically speaking for the township given the jubilation of imminent rescue and the mourning for the lost mate.
For myself, I hope that my colleagues in the psychology profession keep away and allow the townspeople to use their own resources to get to grips with what's happened and utilise their own resources and resilience. Wait until your services are requested.
Heck, hey Apple Australia! How about donating a few new iMacs to the local library and schools and do it with taste and dignity?
UPDATE - May 21, 2006: By now you will know that the two trapped miners were successfully rescued. Attention was then turned to the media and who would get the exclusive interviews with the men, and for how much.
Tonight, Channel 9 will broadcast 2 two hour special with the miners in an exclusive program.
My news is that Apple's iPods were not used during the rescue, but regular el cheapo mp3 players from the local supermarket. The use of iPod was merely journalistic license to refer to portable music players, but they weren't Apple's products. Explains too why no videos were used on the mp3 players. How do I know this? I spoke with the person who thought up the ideas of using mp3 players and music to keep the miners both occupied and distracted.
Next week I'll know more. And so will you. |
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