Advanced Triangulation for Victims Behind Collapse Chokepoints

The 2010 Copiapó rescue held 33 miners behind 700 meters of solid rock for 69 days, blocked by a secondary collapse that shifted the triangulation geometry mid-rescue. When victims sit behind a collapse chokepoint, the standard triangulation math fails. Here are the advanced triangulation techniques EchoQuilt uses for behind-collapse location.

On August 5, 2010, the San Jose copper-gold mine near Copiapó, Chile suffered a main collapse that trapped 33 miners 700 meters below ground. Two days later, a secondary collapse on August 7 blocked the rescue access shaft and forced rescuers to re-plan from scratch (Wikipedia: 2010 Copiapó Mining Accident). The rescue ultimately ran 69 days and demonstrated exactly how difficult triangulation becomes when victims sit behind not one but two collapse chokepoints (Britannica: Chile Mine Rescue 2010).