Chilean Miner Florencio Avalos Reaches the Surface [Video]

Florencio Avalos, 31, was the first miner to escape the confinement of the San Jose mine since the August 5 collapse. Married with two children, Avalos was second in command of the group before the collapse, assisting his friend Luis Urzua. Friends describe him as shy. After the men were found and cameras sent down, he often acted as cameraman, taking pictures of the other miners, a role that frustrated relatives who saw little of him in the videos.

"I am not surprised" that he was chosen, his mother Maria Silva said after word reached the family. "I am so proud of him."