Mexican Army Rescues Miner Francisco Zapata after 13 Days Trapped in Sinaloa Mine

Mexican Army divers successfully rescued miner Francisco Zapata Nájera after he spent 13 days trapped in the Santa Fe mine located in El Rosario, Sinaloa. The rescue, completed on April 8, followed more than 300 hours of entrapment due to a mine collapse and involved coordinated efforts by military, civil protection, and mining teams, according to El Financiero.

Zapata, 42, was transported by helicopter to Mazatlán for medical care and discharged from the hospital after just two days of treatment for severe dehydration, as reported by Lopez Doriga Digital and La Jornada. He hails from Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango, and was the second miner rescued alive from the site.

Authorities announced that while the rescue operation has secured two survivors, including Zapata, one miner was found deceased on April 8 and one other remains trapped. Pumping operations continue to lower water levels inside the mine to facilitate the extraction of the remaining trapped worker, states El Financiero and La Jornada.

Claudia Sheinbaum, addressing ongoing rescue efforts, confirmed that teams are actively working under challenging conditions caused by flooding and are preparing for further extractions. The outcome of these operations is critical given the mine's unstable environment and the risk to the last trapped worker.

The situation remains dynamic as authorities monitor water levels and continue rescue attempts. The successful extraction of Francisco Zapata highlights the effectiveness of Mexico’s emergency response but also underscores the urgency and difficulty of completing the rescue of the remaining miner.