A Mexican miner has been pulled from a flooded gold mine after spending two weeks trapped nearly 300 metres below the ground.
Francisco Zapata Najera, 42, was working in the northern state of Sinaloa when a tailings dam collapsed on March 25.
The structure, which holds mining waste, gave way suddenly and sent water rushing into the tunnels.
When the disaster struck, 25 miners were working underground.
Although 21 of them managed to reach safety, four remained trapped in the darkness.
Rescue teams worked in hazardous conditions over the following days.
After five days, Jose Alejandro Castulo was brought out alive, while another was found dead shortly after.
The search for Mr Zapata continued for more than 300 hours before military divers finally spotted him.
A flickering light in the flooded darkness led them to him, with the 42-year-old switching his torch on and off in the hope he would be seen.
The 42-year-old switched his torch on and off in the hope he would be seen
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Video footage captured the moment rescuers reached him, standing in water up to his waist.
"How are you, how are you?" the rescuers called out as they approached, adding: "Your torchlight helped us a lot."
Mr Zapata responded: "I didn't lose faith, I didn't lose faith."
However, extracting him proved impossible at that moment as flooded tunnels were too dangerous for immediate evacuation.
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'How are you, how are you?' the rescuers called out as they approached
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Divers had no choice but to leave him temporarily with supplies, providing him with water, tinned tuna and energy bars before departing.
Pumping operations continued for another 20 hours to make the route safe.
On Wednesday, Mr Zapata finally emerged from the mine, wrapped in a thermal blanket and transported out on an electric cart.
A helicopter then flew him to hospital, where medics reported the miner was weak but in stable condition.
President Claudia Sheinbaum praised both the military rescue teams and Mr Zapata himself
| REUTERSAn emotional reunion with his family followed his arrival at the hospital.
President Claudia Sheinbaum praised both the military rescue teams and Mr Zapata himself.
She described the operation as "astounding" and credited his faith and determination for making it possible.
One miner remains unaccounted for, with search efforts continuing in the hope of finding him alive.
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