"I'm fine. I'm still strong", says first man rescued from cave in Laos

The first man rescued from the cave in Laos was seen smiling and saying, "I'm fine. I'm still going strong," as expert divers escorted him through the system.

The team designated strategic areas within the cave where survivors could rest and prepare for the next stage of the retreat as they advanced toward the entrance.

Mued was the first of five people found trapped in the flooded cave to be extricated as part of a multinational rescue operation.

He was initially transported to Chamber 4 of the cave, where divers prepared him to pass through a narrow passage leading to the cave entrance.

A video shared by the rescue team shows the cramped passage, flooded with water, and Mued screaming as he was guided through the confined space with the help of other divers.

Understand what happened
Seven residents entered the cave on May 19 in search of gold, but heavy rain caused a flash flood that blocked the entrance to the cave, according to rescue teams from Laos and Thailand.

On Wednesday (27), rescuers reported that five of the seven residents found alive in the cave.

They were located by specialized cave divers and, for now, remain trapped in Xaisomboun province, in central Laos, while rescue teams continue to search for the two remaining people.

Cave in Laos: 5 of 7 people found alive, rescuers say | CNN 360°

Source: CNN