Mistress Greets Rescued Chilean Miner; Wife Stays Home

Some of the miners rescued here said they were touched by God. Others said they were pondering new careers, like Victor Segovia, who is writing a book about the ordeal, according to a report by the New York Times.

Yonni Barrios, 50, the electrician who was tasked with keeping health updates on the 33 men during their time underground, emerged with a bit more sizzle.

Susana Valenzuela, 52, the woman he embraced upon exiting the capsule, turned out to be his mistress. His wife of 28 years, Marta Salinas, 56, told reporters that she might wait for him at their home.

“He has another companion,” said Ms. Salinas. “I’m happy for him, and if he remakes his life, good for him.”

At one point, workers at Camp Hope said they had to separate the two women at the canteen in the weeks after the collapse at mine, when both showed up seeking benefits. The news about the two women in the Atacama desert competing for Mr. Barrios’s heart even led to a song about the love triangle on YouTube, with these lyrics:

“When I was trapped a half a mile deep,

“They both called by name as they mourned and weeped (sic).”

In a recent interview at the camp, Ms. Valenzuela, who met Mr. Barrios when they received first-aid training, explained that her relationship with the electrician was as valid as anything witnessed in Chile’s civil registries or churches.