Franklin Lobos


Franklin Erasmo Lobos Ramírez is a retired Chilean footballer. Lobos debuted in 1980 for Regional Atacama, and retired in 1995, playing for the same club he started his career with. He was nicknamed El Mortero Mágico. He eventually became a miner and was one of the miners trapped underground for two months in the 2010 Copiapó mining accident. On October 13, 2010, Lobos was the 27th of 33 miners to be rescued.

Football career

Club

Lobos made his professional debut for Chilean Second Division team Regional Atacama in 1980, scoring in his first match for the club. After leaving Regional Atacama in 1981, Lobos played a year with Deportes Antofagasta before moving to Cobresal in 1983.
In what would be the first of his two stints with Cobresal, Lobos tasted success in his first year as the team representing the small mining town of El Salvador won the 1983 Second Division title. In the national championship of Chile of 1984, Cobresal was runner-up. Lobos returned to Deportes Antofagasta for 1986 and 1987. In 1988, he rejoined Cobresal where he played until 1989.
Until leaving high level football in 1995, Lobos played for a number of clubs including La Serena, Santiago Wanderers, Municipal Iquique and Unión La Calera.
He was known for his powerful free kicks.

International

Lobos represented Chile in the CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament, a qualifying tournament for the 1984 Olympic Games.

Honours

  • Segunda División: 1983 with Cobresal

    After football

After his sporting career ended Lobos became a taxi-driver and, in 2005, a miner. He worked as a truck driver in the Copiapó mine, where in August 2010, he was one of the 33 miners trapped in the 2010 Copiapó mining accident. He was the 27th miner to be rescued on October 13 and thus holds the record for the seventh longest time ever being trapped underground. Guinness World Records was asked by the rescue team for all the miners, including Lobos, to be honored with the record.
He has two daughters.