Emergency crews in Laos continued their mission Saturday to safely extract four villagers discovered alive inside a water-filled cave, where they have been stranded for 10 days following the successful rescue of one survivor the previous day.
The rescue operation aims to bring out the remaining four men Saturday after determining they weren’t prepared for evacuation on Friday. Teams are working to pump additional water from the cave system while simultaneously searching for two individuals who remain unaccounted for.
“One person has made it out safely, and we will not stop until the remaining four make it home too,” Norrased Palasing, a Thai cave diver participating in the operation, wrote Saturday on his Facebook page.
The first evacuation on Friday required approximately 30 minutes, according to rescue personnel. Footage captured the moment the survivor surfaced alongside a rescue diver, gasping for air before struggling through a tight, water-filled corridor and rising unsteadily. As rescue workers assisted him from the tunnel, someone could be heard cautioning others about his injured hands. Emergency responders then covered him with a foil blanket and helped him sit down.
Additional footage showed the individual exiting the cave entrance wearing a headlamp, walking shakily with support from two people who transferred him to other team members as onlookers gathered.
The group had reportedly gone into the cave the previous week searching for precious minerals when sudden flooding trapped them inside. Another villager managed to escape in time and notified authorities about the seven people left behind.
Search teams located five survivors on Wednesday, identified by their first names as Khamla, Mued, Ee, Ing and Laen. Officials have not disclosed which individual was brought to safety Friday.
The trapped men received supplies including water, soft food and thermal blankets for warmth, though video footage from inside the cave indicated their situation was worsening.
International rescue teams from Laos and Thailand have been joined by specialists from Japan and Malaysia. Additional experts from Indonesia, France and Australia have also arrived at the remote location in Xaisomboun province, approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Vientiane, the capital.
Multiple team members had participated in the complex 2018 cave rescue operation in northern Thailand that saved 12 schoolchildren and their soccer coach.
In video recorded Friday, roughly one hour before the first evacuation commenced, Thai rescuer Kengkaj Bongkawong of the Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin explained the operational difficulties they face.
The rescue team has established a base inside a large cave chamber, reachable only by navigating over 200 meters of winding, narrow, flooded passages with sharp walls. From that point, divers must travel through a submerged tunnel spanning about 30 meters to reach the stranded individuals.
“To dive in a cave, there are issues with the temperature, narrow areas, control of movement, and managing the panic of the survivor, which will be difficult, but we have to do it,” Kengkaj said.
The operation carries substantial risk as rescue teams guide survivors with no diving experience through water with zero visibility.
Video showed Thai diver Norrased and Finnish diver Mikko Paasi instructing the men on diving equipment use, including underwater breathing methods.
“All the way, breathe through your mouth only. Do not ever breathe with your nose, do you understand?” Norrased said during the session.
Emergency teams are also preparing to look for the two villagers who remain missing.
Kengkaj indicated the team intends to explore a section further inside the cave, roughly 20 to 25 meters past where the survivors were discovered. He warned, however, that the area is extensively flooded.
“That area has a lot of water. The water goes there because it’s even deeper than this place,” he said.
