♪ arms and the nightingale tells a fairy tale are paradise ♪ ♪ where roses grew, in my heart you will remain ♪ ♪ my star dust melody, a melody of love's refrain. >> larry: love you, willie. >> love you too. >> right now it's "ac 0." good evening, thanks for watching. tonight a look inside the rescue that revitied the world and brought 33 miners back from a dark, underground dungeon that may have easily become their tomb. 33 miracle men. they were alive when the first drill bit reached them 17 days after the mine in chile's desert caved in. from there, though, just a remarkable human effort involving people, technology, and medical expertise from around the world.

down below, what might have turned into "lord of the flies" chaos instead became the 33-men democracy with miners organizing, choosing leaders, deciding on the honor of who would be the last to leave. in the hour ahead we'll take you inside that race, moment by moment, the challenges and setbacks, how they were overcome, the mechanical and human ballet that made it possible. ultimately to the incredible sight of those men emerging one by one from weeks of darkness. we'll start at the beginning with tom foreman. >> reporter: august 5th, 2:00 in the afternoon. 2300 feet underground, a shaft collapses in the san jose copper and gold mine. 33 miners are somewhere behind the rubble. their condition, unknown. the chilean president promises every effort to rescue them, but

new collapses complicate the formidable task. august 12th, the miners' families have set up camp on the surface to keep watch on the drilling. a week has passed and an official says there is little chance the men survived. relatives later say they argued with that assessment from the start. >> translator: i always told the media, every time i was asked, i know my husband is fine. i know he's alive. and i know he's keeping up all the others in the mine, because that's the kind of person my husband is. >> reporter: franklin lobo's sister magdalena never loses hope for a minute. >> translator: i had a call at home and i was told frankie was gone. i said no, no. frankie's alive. they're alive and god's going to get them out of there. >> reporter: even as authorities hint the search may need to wind down, the families are sending a clear message. keep looking.

>> 33 men have been trapped underground since august 5th. their families prayed they were alive. those prayers have been answered. >> reporter: august 22nd, a stunning break through. an exploratory drill hits a chamber deep in the earth and comes up with a note attached. all 33 of us are fine in the shelter. >> scenes of joy, tears of happiness in the outside of this mine, located at the northern part of chile, 450 miles north of santiago, our country's capital. we said after 17 days we didn't know anything about them, the mining probe that was drilled down into the mine made contact with the shelter. the shelter was located about 2,250 feet below surface, and the probe, when it came out with a piece of paper that had a message written on it, it said, we are all right, that we are in the shelter, the 33 of us. >> translator: i'm very proud of my brother because he's strong and that's why he's been able to achieve this. to remain alive for 11 days.

>> reporter: rescuers celebrate, too, knowing technology and team work have produced a near miracle. >> translator: all of you who brought us coffee, who brought us food, who made the logistics of all this possible. this is what brought this about. this country never gave up, and we miners, we never will give up. ♪ >> reporter: a phone line is dropped down, and rescuers above hear as if from beyond the grave, the trapped, exhausted miners singing the national anthem. ♪ >> reporter: soon, a video camera is lowered, and the first, ghostly pictures emerge. [speaking in a foreign language]

>> reporter: the miners, through strict discipline and rationing, have survived 17 days on two days' worth of food. now supplies pour down the pipeline while gratitude rises up. hello to my family, my children, my wife, my mom, one man says before he breaks into tears. thanks so much from all of my heart, another adds in the ghostly darkness. miners have organized a chain of command. each one has been given a job. they have times for work, for exercise, for relaxation. the routine has clearly kept spirits up. chi-le. >> reporter: soon we'll be out of here, yet another assures those above. but real soon runs smack into reality. engineers studying the chamber where the miners are trapped have reached a daunting conclusion.

it may take up to four months to bring them out. >> up on this barren hillside, relatives have planted a flag for each of the miners trapped underground. 32 chilean flags, one bolivian flag. and as long as it takes, the chilean government is vowing to bring each one of them home alive. >> want to bring up karl penhaul now, who was first on the scene, got there days after they were found alive. when the first drill came through and the miners attached a note to it, and we have some pictures of the note, the president of chile held up the note, what did the note say? and did the people who were drilling know that they were alive? or were they just kind of seeing what would happen? >> no, they had no knowledge, or in fact after all this period, 17 days, and the difficulties it was sending the probe into the mine, one of the reasons, the difficulties of putting that probe into the mine and locating

exactly the refuge area was because the mine map supplied by the mining company was so out of date they didn't know where the refuge was, according to those maps. so really it was sticking a whole series of different probes into that hillside, the proverbial needle in the hey stack. so after the 17 days they came up to the refuge. they didn't know if the men were alive. so what the men did was bang, bang, bang on the side of that drill to send a vibration up the tube. they painted the tip of the drill red to let them know and taped on two notes. the first note written,saying, we're in the refuge, 33 of us, we are well. and that, when that got to the surface, was the most miraculous message to the rescuers on top. they didn't believe that all 33 would have made it. they didn't believe that they would be able to hit the refuge, by that time they were almost

giving up hope. but there was a sect note attached to that drill bit again, mario gomez, 63 years old, to his wife. dear lila, i'm well. thanks to god, we will make it out of here. >> karl, when you first arrived, how organized was it? >> reporter: the families themselves were very organized, because they had been already 17 days standing vigil for these miners. it was really the families that drove the whole initial phase of this rescue operation, because they clearly said to the government and mine company, you will give us back our loved ones, dead or alive. if they are dead, you will burrow down and bring their bodies back, and if they are alive, you will find them. so they had organized themselves physically into one large group. of course, they were living under very rudimentary conditions, people who had the warmth of their own homes in a city, had gone up to the middle of the chilean desert and were camping out in the boiling hot

days, and absolutely frigid nights. >> for the miners, the first 17 days, that's really the most extraordinary of all. because it was completely -- they were left up to themselves. they didn't know if anyone was going to be able to find them. they didn't know if anybody knew they were alive or everyone just assumed they were dead. and they really kind of organized themselves. they started rationing food, and they really were responsible for their own survival in those times. >> reporter: those 17 days are the most key and most amazing period, from what i can figure out from the interviews now. of course we're hearing the miners have some kind of pact of silence, so we're not hearing full details, but the details i have so far heard from those miners, they had 120 cans of tuna between 33 of them. that meant they'd rationed out half a plastic spoonful of tuna per miner a day. they organized themselves into work groups but even so they say they couldn't see a hand in

front of their faces for those first 17 days. it was so dim. and then, the issue, the shift foreman there, louis urzua, stepping up and saying, guys -- he said in some comments we have from him, that he decided his only leadership quality would be to tell the truth to these men, and at one stage he said i'm going to tell you straight, guys. we may make it, but more likely we're going to die. and it seems that the men really appreciated that kind of honesty, though it shocked them. some of the men fell to the floor and literally didn't get up for a couple of days until their colleagues rallied around them. he told it to them straight, we may make it out, we may not. for the first 17 days we were aware, they may find us and if they find us, they find us. if not, not. >> amazing. amazing. karl, appreciate all your reporting these long weeks and months. when we come back, the three-way race, the american

whose team made it there first and one chilling moment. >> that was what we didn't want to hear was something like that, because we still hadn't punched through into the mine. so it was definitely a heart stopper. we're thinking, man, something goes wrong in the last minute. a? it's speedy alka-seltzer! [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus rushes relief for all-over achy colds. the official cold medicine of the u.s. ski team. alka-seltzer plus. [ indistinct shouting ] ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ daylight comes [ dogs barking ] ♪ i'm on my way ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ working my whole life away ♪ another day

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begins. three tunnels will be drilled simultaneously, dubbed simply plans a, b and c. >> reporter: a key piece of machinery, part of the machine used to drill a hole down to the shelter 700 meters in the ground where the miners are is now being moved into place. >> reporter: plan a relies on ventilation shafts cutting straight down to the chamber. plan b uses a drill for digging water wells, and will come in from an angle. and plan c will involve a drill used for oil exploration. experts from around the world have been called to consult on the engineering and the welfare of the miners. >> this is an operation that's probably unprecedented in scope. never have so many been trapped for so long, so deeply. >> reporter: the miners themselves are apprised of the rescue plans and approve. >> translator: we are more calm with the video you sent us.

everything upstairs is exactly the way we imagined it. >> reporter: september 6th, a problem. the b drill, which seems to be making the best progress, breaks and must be repaired. >> obviously they are a little anxious because of the problems we had with the plan b, but everything is understandable right now for them. >> and still on schedule? >> of course. >> reporter: throughout the month, the waiting and drilling go on. electricity and lights are fed down to the men who have lived in utter darkness, except for occasional use of their helmet lamps. through the small bore holes, mail is sent from loved ones above, clean clothing is pushed down. oxygen, water as well. the miners have asked for a chilean flag and some religious objects, including a crucifix. concern over their health persists. many have lost weight and are sending messages about their struggle. >> they are not sleeping well, they are very nervous. in some ways, depressed.

>> translator: i want to eat so many things. i'm hungrier than ever. all these days i've been dreaming about my mom cooking for me. >> reporter: by and large, they show remarkable resilience. i want to say thank you to all our families who had the courage not to abandon us. we know what you've done. [ applause ] we're calm down here. conditions are not that good, but we know we will make it out. september 26th. as if to prove it, the capsule designed to bring the men up through whichever bore hole is done first arrives. it is red, white and blue, the colors of the chilean flag. it is called the fenix. >> because i think it's a process of rebirth. we expect we'll have these

miners out of this mine, it's a sort of rebirth to a new life. >> reporter: october 1st. everything speeds up. officials unexpectedly announce that the rescue is now slated for the second half of the month. october 9th, word comes that drill b is bearing down on the miners. there's now sharp concern that the drill could cause a general collapse in the chamber. the final moments are nerve wracking. then -- victory. the path it has cut is narrow, twisting and will need to be shored up with steel pipe. but for the miners, it is golden. and three days later, the first rescuer steps into the capsule and descends. >> joining us now is one of the men responsible for punching that rescue down into the mine faster than anyone could hope.

jeff hart knows drilling and knows life and death. his last gig was in afghanistan and i spoke with him moments after the first miner was brought to the surface. congratulations. what was it like for you to see this first man being brought out alive after you have been working on this and your colleagues around the clock to make sure this happens? >> we worked real long and hard on that. and to actually see that capsule come through the first time through the hole that we drilled is just unbelievable. we're all kind of in disbelief that we're part of this. >> you had more than a part and your colleagues as well. you worked around the clock, three different drills, plan a, b and c. you were plan b. you actually started later but you broke through first. i read that you said this was the most difficult drilling process you've worked on and you just came back from afghanistan where were you helping american forces drill wells. why was this one so tough? >> the geology and the strata here is very difficult to drill.

it's very abrasive. extremely hard. it's got very broken parts in it. and so it just eats up bits. we had a hard time with the angle, keeping the bushings in the bits, and we just had issues. but together as a team, everybody just kind of came together and we made this thing work. and it's an awesome feeling. >> and were you manning the drill when it actually broke through, when it actually reached the miners? >> yes, sir, i was. >> what was that feeling like? could you tell that it had gotten that close? >> you know, we did. we stopped 2 1/2 meters shy, just so we could make sure the miners could go down and measure to make sure our depths are correct. they did over the phone tell us it is 2 1/2 meters, so drilling the last couple of meters is obviously nerve wracking. we could still have a failure at that point and lose the hole. so until you're actually in the mine, it's not over.

so, yeah, we had a very nerve wracking couple of meters there, and then in the last six inches we had something around the rig pop. everybody's asked us about that. we still today don't know what that was, but -- >> i heard you described it as you thought your heart almost stopped. >> you know, well, i tell you, that's exactly what it was. because that's what we didn't want to hear, was something like that, because we still hadn't punched through into the mine. and so it was definitely a heart stopper. we're thinking, man, something goes wrong in the last minute. so -- but it ended up, we watched the video that the miners had for us come through into the mine, and everything worked out well. >> you're a hero, not only to the people there, but to everyone around the world who's been watching you and all your colleagues. >> i appreciate that. thank you much, anderson. when we come back, testing the shaft and the rescue pod, planning a rescue and choosing the rescuer, the first into the mine, and more than a day later the very last man out.

>> translator: good luck. good luck, manuel. imagine you're at the beach. imagine you're at the beach. good luck, my brother. good luck, good luck, manuel. [speaking in a foreign language] t t adwiwiout food al

[speaking in a foreign language]

such a dramatic moment. manuel gonzalez being lowered few the escape shaft, 10:19 p.m. eastern time. he was the first of six rescuers who would descend into that darkness. until that moment, the capsule had been tested unmanned and it had never been all the way down. the tests had gone well but there are never guarantees on any rescue operation, especially one this scale. the world waited with fingers crossed and what we saw minutes later was truly extraordinary. here's gary tuchman. >> reporter: 68 days after the collapse of the san jose mine, the beginning of the end of the saga is now clearly in sight. the world gasps in disbelief at the images, more than 2,000 feet underground. the first time anyone outside the immediate rescue team has seen live video of the miners.

there are cheers and hugs for the first rescuer, manuel gonzalez. is he the first person to have physical contact with the miners since august. the men appear in good shape. most of them in their underwear and shirtless in the 80-degree heat of the mine. 31-year-old florencio avalos switches places with gonzalez. up above, an anxious quiet falls over the rescue workers and families. there's also now a nervous silence among the 32 miners still underground. >> we've been told this would take 15 to 17 minutes for him to be brought up, but the wheel seems to be moving quicker than the wheel when they went down to get the miners. what's amazing is this. this is the ultimate live shot. i've got to tell you. this reminds me of when he was 8 years old watching neil armstrong step on the moon for

the first time. that's the kind of awe that we have here. >> reporter: after 15 agonizing minutes, the top of the fenix emerges and avalos finally reaches the surface. chi-chi-chi-! le-le-le! >> reporter: it's now 11:00 p.m. eastern time. in nearby copiapo, pandemonium. avalos appears to be in good physical condition. rescuers fear the miners would become dizzy during the long, bumpy ride, but avalos walks out unaided, wearing special sunglasses to protect his eyes from the glaring lights. he hugs family members who are crying with joy at his return.

he also hugs chilean president sebastian pinera and other rescue workers before being wheeled into a nearby rescue facility. during those long months of isolation, avalos was the cameraman filming video of the miners to send up to their families on the surface. those families, even while celebrating avalos's return, hope the other 32 survivors, including avalos' brother will soon arrive one by one. [speaking in a foreign language]

>> florencio avalos had been the cameraman for a lot of the videos we had been watching for several weeks, and he was selected because he was in good health. but i don't think anyone realized once he got to the top just how good health he seemed to be in. >> reporter: no. it was amazing. we didn't know what to expect, because these men had been underground for almost ten weeks, and the cage opened, he got out, and he was joyous, he looked refreshed, he was just so ecstatic obviously, and his little son was there with tears out of his eyes, it was an amazing moment. it made us realize this was going to be an incredible day, two days of these amazing reunions that we would never get tired of watching. >> was there talk at all of sending up the weakest members first? before they ultimately decided to send up two of the stronger members?

>> reporter: the idea was they didn't know how this capsule called the fenix 2 would react the first couple of times it went up. they'd test it'd without human beings. a mine rescue official went down and that was successful but they didn't know necessarily, 100% sure, what would happen when a miner went up in it. >> i don't think a lot of the rescuers get the recognition they deserve. >> reporter: no. it was really amazing. that was one of the things we didn't know about, that so many rescuer woz go down in the mine. they were key. they made sure everything was organized, that everyone was calm, that they were dressed properly, they were mentally ready for the ride up. and it was nice. we covered the 33 men coming up, and that was a very happy moment, but then we covered the six mine rescuers, because it was still a risky ride. when they were all up, it was an incredible celebration. there were so many more reunions in the hours ahead over the next 24 hours. how it all played out. we'll show you ahead.

>> chi-le! chi-chi-chi-! le-le-le! los mineros de chile! host: could switching to really save you fifteen percent or m insurance dochuck wo

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hi, i'm isha sesay. more "countdown to rescue" in a moment. in chile, a home coming celebration for one of the rescued miners, all but two of the 33 men are out of the hospital tonight. meanwhile, a gold mine has collapsed in ecuador trapping four miners, rescue workers expect to reach them by saturday, but it's unclear if they are alive. at a military hearing today, a soldier testified he captured the ft. hood shootings on his

cell phone camera but was ordered to erase it by an officer. major nidal hasan is accused of killing 13 people in the shooting spree last november. the hearing is to decide if he will be court martialed. and rapper t.i. is heading back to prison for 11 months after violating his probation with a drug arrest. more of "countdown to rescue" after this.

[ applause ] when florencio avalos stepped out of that capsule at 11:11 p.m. eastern time, it felt like the beginning of the end, breathing fresh air for the first time, hugging his family. living, smiling proof that the rescue plan could work and maybe it would work for everybody. it was still a marathon ahead.

32 more miners still waiting a half mile underground. would their nerves hold steady? would the escape capsule hold up? they did, and it did. over the next 24 hours, a real life drama unfolded, so many incredible moments. here's tom foreman. >> reporter: mario separate bull varied da rose out of the earth, hugged his wife and then embraced his country. >> chi-le! chi-chi-chi-! le-le-le! los mineros de chile! >> reporter: i was with god and the devil, he said. god won. the long night ended for the youngest minor, jimmy sanchez, 19. for the only foreigner, bolivian carlos mamani. and the note that told everyone,

we're alive. at 63, mario gomez, the oldest, the first freed in the new dawn. he kissed his wife and prayed. so did others. esteban rojas, trapped with two cousins, asked his wife to renew their wedding vows while below. she said yes. edison bena led elvis songs while underground. ariel ticona's wife had a baby while he was below. victor zamora and his wife are expecting one. i hope this new life ahead of

you is happy, the chilean president told him. so it went, around the clock. and finally, the last man, the leader for all the trapped miners, luis urzua. you have been an inspiration, he is told. the country will never be the same after this. ♪ >> reporter: then they sang the chilean national anthem. a song of hope, unity and strength for people who have shown so much of all three. ♪ at last, the six rescuers were brought up. the first one in was the last

one out. manuel gonzalez waved and bowed to the camera so far below, then rode up to a tumultuous celebration. then a talk with the president about the lessons of the disaster, the rescue, and the hope for the future. i hope we have learned from this, and that chilean mining will be different, he said. >> chi-le! chi-chi-chi-! le-le-le! >> just amazing moments. up next, how they did it. how the 33 miners survived. while trapped for more than two months under a half mile of rock and 17 days before they even knew whether or not anyone knew

they were alive. we're going to take a close look of what it takes mentally to endure with adventurer bear grylls. >> i think one of the hardest things to deal with for the survive ser not knowing. not knowing if anyone is looking for you, you know, those are really hard emotions to deal with.

[speaking in a foreign language] >> chi-le! chi-chi-chi-! le-le-le! los mineros de chile! [ applause ] >> that was mario sepulveda leading the cheer. no mistaking his joy. he was glowing, pumped, hard to believe he'd spent more than two months underground. we saw just how resilient they seemed and how happy, obviously, after all they'd been through. few of us will ever come close to experiencing what they have experiencd thankfully. not even bear grylls, who has

made a career out of testing. from a survival standpoint, what really stands out to you about this story? >> it's just -- it's such a long period of time, you know? it's hard to kind of get a grasp of just what it must be like to be underground for that amount of time. i've kind of endured storms on mountains, being stuck in snow holes for long periods of time, but we're talking days, rather than weeks and months, and i think just, you know, the reality of what these guys have gone through is going to take a long time to recover. and i think what would happen is there would be a mass euphoria initially of those outpouring of emotion, but it's actually kind of -- that's a honeymoon period. the hard time i think for the survivors will actually be a month or two down the line when your body and your mind starts to process a lot of the motions you've kept a lid on all that time underground. >> the other thing that really

stands out to me, especially those first, you know, 16 or 17 days after they've realized they were trapped, they weren't sure if rescue was coming, they're in pitch-black conditions, in a room 600 or so square feet, there's 33 of them, that's got to be the toughest time. even for guys who are used to be underground, just not knowing if anyone's going to actually find them. >> really terrifying. i think one of the hardest emotions for the survivor is the not knowing. not knowing what rescue will ever be able to reach you, not knowing if anyone is looking for you. those are really hard emotions to deal with. i think once they realized there was a glimmer of hope, how ever small that glimmer was, then you could start to set into the routine. but that initial not knowing must be very frightening. i think also the fact that your senses become deprived of everything we take for granted, like light, warmth, sleep, rest, even things like family, love,

children, you know, you start taking all of that away from people, and, you know, stuff happens. and i think all emotions get very heightened. so the good emotions, the bad emotions, things get blown out of proportion. and i think for these guys, they pulled this off and survived this, it's something they should be so, so proud of. and what an amazing experience for them to go through. >> and for those first 16 or 17 days before the drill got to them, they were basically surviving on little pieces of fish. i read mackerel and tuna, that were already in the mine and obviously water. how long can someone go just on that kind of a diet? >> well, you're into survival food then, you know? but your body can last up to like 40 days without food. they're on very limited rations, they can survive a while. but again, it's measured in weeks. and the important thing for them was water, which they did have. but again, you're really reduced to basic levels of life.

and you know, you've got to just admire that fortitude and that courage and the way they must have had to work together. and it just shows as human beings, when, you know, we're really put up against it, actually we're all survivors underneath it, regardless of how we see ourselves and we struggle with this, and struggle with that. but actually when we're squeezed, we're like grapes. you see what we're made of. and these guys should be really, really proud. wow, what an amazing journey. >> is this an experiment you'd want to try for your show? being underground? >> three months, wow, we think five or six days to film "man versus wild" and after that i'm well, well ready to get out of there and get home. i admire these guys so much. i'll be praying for them and i'm so glad to see them on their way to safety. i once went 3 1/2 months without a shower and it took me about a month to smell normal again, so i don't know what these guys are going to smell like at the end. but what a journey, and i'm so

glad they're on their way out. >> bear grylls, appreciate your time. thank you. >> take care. up next, the unforgettable moments like this one, the rescue workers down below holding a banner that read mission accomplished after all the miners were out. [ applause ] >> chi-le! chi-chi-chi-! le-le-le! los mineros de chile! now you get a cleanser with scope freshness. ♪ new fixodent plus scope ingredients. ♪

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♪ [ applause ] that's franklin lobos, electrician in the mine, 27th miner to emerge, was a professional soccer player. one of the most incredible moments when manuel gonzalez arrived in the underground chamber. we didn't know we were going to get video images of that, but suddenly there it was, popped up on the computer screen. [speaking in a foreign language]

>> being able to witness history, those miners' first contact with a human being, first direct contact in more than two months. gary, so many moments since this rescue unfolded and as you covered it. what really stands out for you? >> reporter: what stands out for me, anderson, is when the first minor, florencio avalos made it to the top. and the reason it was so significant is because we weren't 100% sure this would be successful. it was very nerve wracking. and once we knew that the capsule started moving and we were watching the wheel turn to the clockwise position which meant it was coming up, and we watched the rope getting pulled, we knew it would take 15 to 17 minutes for florencio to make it to the top. but it felt like two hours and 15 minutes. time went to slowly. finally when we saw the top of

the capsule come above the hole and saw this man in the cage, it was just amazing. not only do we know this man was safe and he was going to greet his beautiful family over there, but made us realize we didn't need to be as tense. there was good cause to know it would be successful, and indeed, 32 more men, 32 more miners made it successfully out. >> i sort of felt, watching it on television throughout the day, i felt bad for the miners who got out later, because sort of the excitement of it, maybe for some of the spectators maybe waned. for people there, though, it seemed there was equal enthusiasm for everybody who came out. >> reporter: it was really incredible, anderson, because i was watching it on a perch about 200 yards away, and with reporters from all over the world. it was like the united nations of journalism. each time a rescue would occur, there were tvs, and we would gather near the tvs when we weren't on the air, and everyone

watching with equal interest and emotion, and we kind of forgot we were reporters, that we were just people watching it, and we were caught up in it each and every time. >> gary, appreciate all your hard work and your team as well, and all our reporters covering this story. gary, appreciate it. thanks. of course the story is far from over. 33 men and their families have begun their lives again. begun them anew, some of the miners say. there will be a lot more stories to come. for now, though, that's our report. thanks for watching. i'll see you next time. >> chi-le! chi-chi-chi-! le-le-le! los mineros de chile! may be possible. in pursuit of this goal, lexus developed the world's most advanced driving simulator, where a real driver in a real car can react to real situations without real consequences. the breakthroughs we innovate here may someday make all cars safer. this is the pursuit of tomorrow. this is the pursuit of perfection.

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