We know instant coffee is delicious, but can it also save lives? Two miners from South Korea lived on instant coffee and water while trapped in shaft for 9 days. 

According to Reuters, two miners were stranded nearly 650 feet underground after part of a zinc mine collapsed while they were working inside of it. The mine collapsed on October 26th in Bonghwa, in the east of South Korea. They were successfully rescued 9 days after on November 9th.

The rescued men, aged 62 and 56, were in stable condition. Both were able to walk out of the collapsed mine and were taken to a local hospital. Their doctor said they should make a full recovery according to the BBC. Once out of danger, the miners shared their incredible survival story.

South Korea miners survive nine days underground on coffee https://t.co/DaZE5M8KhC

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 5, 2022

The two miners mentioned that they were able to survive by consuming only sweetened instant coffee powder that had with them and some water. They also pitched a tent with plastics inside the collapsed mine to keep themselves warm, according to local rescuers.

Local authorities also shared that the miners had a total of 30 sticks of instant coffee while trapped underground. They also drank the water that fell from the shaft’s ceiling and made a fire to survive.

The happy families waiting outside the mine couldn't hide their excitement: “I have lots of things to tell my father so I’ve written them down on a notebook in the past 10 days,” said Park Geun-hyung, the son of one of the rescued miners, Park Jeong-ha. “Now I want to spend some time with my father to tell him what I want to say and listen to what I want to hear from him” reported the Associated Press.

This is not the first story we've heard about people surviving on a coffee only diet. In 1965, a man named Angus Barbieri from Scotland decided it was time to change his life by fasting for over a year. All he drank was coffee, tea, and sparkling water.

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