He provided his own quick wit and sense of command and used absolutely everything he'd ever learned.
That is truly heroic.
He had confidence that SOMEBODY could drill a hole and get them out of there hence the 17 day long period of iron discipline.
He was right!
This sounds like the underground version of the Shackleton expedition to the South Pole during WWI!
Shackleton and a few of his strongest men went far across the southern sea to find rescue help. But a great deal of credit goes to Frank Wild, who kept morale and spirits up on desolate Elephant Island. To the remaining men he would say daily, "any day now" they should get ready, the rescue ship would return. And return it did, with not a man lost.
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing, is an incredible book. I would not be at all surprised to learn the shift supervisor had read it.
BTW, on the safety manuals, I want to be this guy's ghost writer ~ but we'll use him as the source of how to ACT FAST, which he did.
He obviously treated it as a combat situation and did it all. I particularly liked the part where he had them organized into teams and everybody was assigned a job right there at the start. Every man was given the opportunity to see to his own salvation through work with his friends, neighbors and coworkers ~ no matter how hopeless their situation really was, they were working to save their lives.
That's the main thrust that'd make a good chapter, but I think it could permeate whole book and make some of the least interesting stuff RIVETING.
His leadership, calm and provision of structure
to the group were amazing! Whattaguy!