Five men have been trapped in a cave inundated by floodwaters in Laos for over a week, and on Friday (May 29), rescue teams successfully managed to save the first man. The five men were in a remote area of Laos searching for gold when they became trapped in the cave following a sudden flood on May 20. However, two other men are still missing. This incident has been dubbed as the “Thailand Sleeping Beauty Cave Incident 2.0”.
The rescue operation carried out in the remote mountainous region of Xaysomboun Province in central Laos was a race against time. Earlier forecasts indicated that there would be thunderstorms on Friday night, with a 60% chance of rainfall in the area.
On Wednesday (27th), rescue divers discovered the five survivors in a narrow vertical shaft 300 meters (984 feet) from the cave entrance. They were huddled together, covered in mud, looking disheveled, and told rescuers that they were experiencing chest pains and were famished.
On Friday, a member of the Thai rescue team posted a photo on Facebook showing three men helping another disheveled, mud-covered man to walk with great difficulty, accompanied by the caption: “The first trapped individual has been successfully rescued.”
Thai rescue team member Kengkard Bonggawong shared in another Facebook post, saying, “The first trapped individual has been successfully rescued. We will assess the condition of the other four individuals and continue the search for the two missing persons tomorrow.”
Previously, experts had planned to pump out the floodwaters blocking the men’s escape route. But when the plan failed, rescuers discussed the final option: teaching the trapped men how to scuba dive and swim out of the cave. However, the trapped men had no cave diving experience, and the submerged tunnel was about 30 meters long.
Currently, details of how the first man was rescued have not been disclosed, but rescue teams have stated that they will release information later on. The plight of these trapped individuals has garnered international attention from the diving community, with more rescue forces arriving on Friday. Professional divers from Thailand, Indonesia, France, and Australia have arrived in Laos to provide additional technical support.
This rescue operation bears similarities to the 2018 incident where a youth soccer team was trapped in a cave in Thailand for 18 days. According to local media reports, many Laotian citizens have generously supported the rescue efforts. A well-known social media figure named “Je Norm” volunteered to transport food and drinking water to the cave entrance despite the rugged and muddy terrain.
Another internet personality, “Win William,” donated approximately 150,000 Thai baht to purchase water pumps and hoses for use in the rescue operation.