The three-part series revisits the 2010 disaster that trapped 33 miners underground for 69 days, featuring previously unseen footage filmed by the men themselves.
Workers surrounding the Fenix capsule at night. (credit: Christián Leighton)
National Geographic has released the official trailer for Chilean Mine Rescue: Race Against Time, a three-part documentary series recounting one of the most closely watched mine rescues in history.
The series premieres on Monday 28 September 2026, with all three episodes airing back-to-back from 20:30 CAT on National Geographic (DStv 181 and StarTimes 220) across Africa. It will also be available on Disney+ in South Africa.
Produced by Emmy Award-winning Blast Films, the documentary explores the 2010 collapse at Chile’s San José copper-gold mine, the international rescue operation that followed and the lasting impact on the miners and their families.
Previously unseen footage from inside the mine
The documentary features cell phone footage filmed by the miners underground, offering a firsthand account of their 69-day ordeal. It also includes interviews with survivors, families and rescuers, with several participants speaking publicly outside local Chilean media for the first time.
Among those featured is Jeff Kofman, who was ABC’s international correspondent and the first international journalist on the scene. He reported from Chile as the rescue operation unfolded.
The series follows the miners from the moment the mine collapsed through the organisation that developed underground, the engineering challenges of the rescue and the public attention that followed their survival.
The 2010 Chilean mine disaster
On 5 August 2010, a catastrophic collapse at the San José mine trapped 33 miners nearly half a mile beneath Chile’s Atacama Desert.
For 17 days, the men were presumed dead. When rescuers eventually made contact, the operation entered a new phase as Chilean engineers and rescue teams, supported by drillers and specialists from around the world, worked to bring them to the surface.
The miners spent a total of 69 days underground while their families waited above ground and refused to give up hope.
On 13 October 2010, the rescue capsule surfaced with the first miner, marking the beginning of the final stage of the operation. An estimated one billion people watched the rescue unfold, making it one of the largest live television audiences in history.
Part of National Geographic’s Race Against Time franchise
Chilean Mine Rescue: Race Against Time is the latest instalment in National Geographic’s Emmy-winning Race Against Time documentary franchise.
Previous productions include Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, which won the Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Historical Documentary, and Tsunami: Race Against Time, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Historical Documentary.
The new series is produced by Blast Films for National Geographic. Tanya Winston, Shona Thompson and Danny Horan serve as executive producers for Blast Films, with Luke Sewell as series editor. Chloe Campbell and James Parris direct the series.
For National Geographic, Tom McDonald is executive vice president of Content, Bengt Anderson is senior vice president of Unscripted Production and Development, and Carolyn Payne serves as executive producer.
Watch the trailer
The documentary premieres on National Geographic on 28 September 2026, with all three episodes airing back-to-back from 20:30 CAT. South African viewers can also watch it on Disney+.
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