Five gold miners rescued from flooded cave in Laos, two missing

Five of the seven gold miners who have been trapped in a flooded cave in the Laotian province of Xaysomboun for ten days are now safe. Reuters reports that rescue teams freed four more men from the cave on Saturday, after one man had already been recovered on Friday.

The emotional moments of the rescue are captured in videos from the rescuers: As documented by Die Welt, rescue teams brought the last four men to daylight as they collapsed – from relief and exhaustion. A surprising turn of events occurred on Saturday: in the morning, a rescue was considered too dangerous, but hours later the gold miners suddenly appeared before the astonished rescue teams. Der Spiegel reports that four of the individuals apparently freed themselves from the cave – an unexpected outcome that no one had thought possible.

International rescue teams in action

The rescue teams consist of specialists from several countries. Malaysian rescue diver Lee Kian Li confirmed the successful recovery of the four men. Tagesschau reports that two of the original seven gold miners remain missing and search operations are ongoing.

The men had entered the cave ten days ago to search for gold when it became flooded with water. The rescue under such difficult conditions – with limited visibility, strong currents, and limited oxygen – presented significant challenges for the international rescue teams. That five of the seven men could be recovered alive is considered great fortune by experts.