5 rescued, evacuated from flooded cave in Laos as search continues for 2 missing men
Elite divers involved in the 2018 Thai cave rescue deployed to Laos to assist in yet another high-stakes search and rescue mission.
FOUND ALIVE: Missing Villagers Rescued From Deep Flooded Cave in Laos
FOUND ALIVE 🤿: After being missing for more than a week after intense rain triggered flash flooding, five of seven missing villagers were found alive deep inside a cave in the Xaisomboun Province in Laos. A diver captured the emotional moment on camera as the survivors huddled together on a rock surrounded by water.
LAOS – Over one week after disappearing into a cave in Laos, five of the seven missing villagers that became stranded after intense rain triggered flash flooding, have been evacuated.
Earlier this week, five of the seven missing villagers were found on a rock and surrounded by floodwater by a group of rescue cave divers inside an underground cavern in the province of Xaisomboun on Wednesday, the New York Post reported.
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Image 1 of 5Five of the seven missing villagers have been successfully extracted from a cave in the province of Xaisomboun in Laos. (Volunteer for People)
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Image 2 of 5Five of the seven missing villagers have been successfully extracted from a cave in the province of Xaisomboun in Laos. (Volunteer for People)
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Image 3 of 5Five of the seven missing villagers have been successfully extracted from a cave in the province of Xaisomboun in Laos. (Volunteer for People)
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Image 4 of 5Five of the seven missing villagers have been successfully extracted from a cave in the province of Xaisomboun in Laos. (Volunteer for People)
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Image 5 of 5Five of the seven missing villagers have been successfully extracted from a cave in the province of Xaisomboun in Laos. (Volunteer for People)
Social media posts from Lao and Thai rescue teams on the scene shared images and updates after five of the seven missing divers were rescued.
The first missing man was rescued Friday, while four others were successfully evacuated from the cave on Saturday, according to The Associated Press. Two men remain unaccounted for as a major search-and-rescue operation continues.
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The villagers entered the cave on May 19, but heavy rain triggered flash flooding that blocked the exit of the cave, the Associated Press reported.
After sifting through the dark, muddied cave floodwaters and squeezing through narrow tunnels, video footage shows the moments the group of rescue teams found the stranded villagers sitting on top of a rock.
Rescuers Celebrate as 5 Found Alive in Cave as Search Continues for 2 Others
Rescuers in Laos said Tuesday they had found five of the seven people trapped inside a cave since last week. Video released by the nonprofit Rescue Volunteer for People showed rescue crews celebrating outside the cave in Xaisomboun following the breakthrough in the search operation.
Heartwarming footage captures a team of rescuers rejoicing upon hearing the news the lost villagers were found in the cave.
When the flooding began, one villager who went into the cave with the group of seven was able to escape and alerted the emergency of the trapped villagers.
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In June 2018, the eyes of the world shifted to Thailand when a group of youth soccer players became stranded in a cave during the monsoon season, triggering the deployment of an elite world-class dive team that successfully extracted all 12 players and their coach.
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Rescue crews are expected to continue searching the flooded cave for the two missing men.
This is a developing story. Stick with FOX Weather for future updates.