Five men have now been freed after spending more than a week trapped in a flooded cave in Laos, according to rescuers, with two others still missing.
The first of the five men was rescued on Friday, with footage shared on social media showing him emerging from a narrow crevice after rescuers guided the man through a water-filled tunnel, crawling on their hands and knees while wearing a breathing apparatus.
The remaining four men were able to climb out by themselves on Saturday, Laos rescue group Rescue Volunteer for People said on Facebook, as water levels came down following efforts to pump water out of the cave system. Rescuers had been gearing up to enter the cave when the men emerged.
Thai rescuer Adisak Wongsoraya posted video on Facebook showing families tearfully embracing the rescued men as they emerged from the cave, as the rescue team fended off cameras and directed the men toward waiting medics. Another video posted by Thai rescue worker Ariya Rommai showed the rescued men wrapped in foil and lying on stretchers as they received medical treatment.
Kengkard Bongkawong, President of the Mettatham Association Rescue Unit, said specialists blocked the source of water flowing into the cave, created new drainage to allow water to flow out, and utilized pumps to clear the flooded chambers.
“When the water level dropped dramatically, the results spoke for themselves,” he said in a Facebook post.
Seven people are thought to have entered the mazelike cave network in Laos’ Xaisomboun Province on May 19 to look for gold, becoming trapped when heavy rain and flash flooding blocked the entrance to the cave.
Specialist divers located five of the men huddled together on a rock on Wednesday, capturing the moment of their discovery on video after navigating through the claustrophobic, muddy water-filled cave.
It is unclear where the two missing men are, 11 days on from their disappearance. The flooding has complicated search efforts, with visibility inside the cave limited by the cramped conditions and murky water.
When they were discovered on Wednesday, the men on the rock had ripped clothes and dirty faces, seemingly stunned that they had been found alive. One told the camera: “Don’t worry about me, mum. The rescuers are here. I’m safe now.”
The specialist Thai volunteers leading the search effort include divers who took part in the famous 2018 rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in northern Thailand.
