Scene of 'total elation' at mine

The Herald's Australia correspondent Greg Ansley described the scenes at Beaconsfield gold mine in Tasmania as "total elation" this morning.

"It extends beyond the townspeople to everyone who was here," he said. "There are reporters choking back their own tears."

Ansley has been covering the story since the start. He said there was a sense of unreality as the miners came out.

Brant Webb and Todd Russell were rescued from the mine this morning after 14 days trapped underground.

"It was just a remarkable, remarkable occasion. They went through the crowd in an ambulance with the doors open. People were yelling 'My God!' and there were the miners - sitting up with big grins on their faces pointing at people in the crowd and the crowd were going crazy.

"There had been this huge drama underground that we knew was happening, but it was at arms length. Then suddenly it was there right in front of us."

Ansley said with sirens going off and church bells ringing the occasion felt like the end of a war.

He had gone to sleep in his car at about midnight, with an alarm set for 4am. Shortly before it rang, he received a call from a colleague saying there was a lot of movement.

He said it was amazing how fast word spread.

"The families of Brant and Todd were arriving as I got up and then there was this steady stream of people. Women were arriving in their dressing gowns and the rain that had been pouring down suddenly stopped.

"You don't often get to see such drama close up and with a happy ending."

By 9am New Zealand time Ansley said there was a numb feeling, with people lost for words.

The one thing the townspeople were sure of was that very few of them would be going to work that day.

"I just spoke to the brewer and he said he wouldn't be working, but he was going to make sure there was a beer for everyone."