Survivors in Laos braved dangerous conditions to get out of cave
In an operation that rescuers called nothing short of miraculous, the four men trapped in a flooded cave in Laos managed to escape through an extremely dangerous and complex diving operation.
CNN senior international correspondent Will Ripley, who is based in Long Tieng in central Laos, noted that there were many potential obstacles as they navigated the dark, narrow rocky passages.
They were removed from the cave after walking and crawling on their own.
Apparently, the residents decided to take a chance after realizing that the water level in the cave had dropped significantly, thanks to pumping efforts at the surface.
"In this case, they just took a chance," Ripley said.
The correspondent noted that there were previous fears of bad weather, which could have hampered the rescue mission.
The first man to emerge alive from the cave on Friday (30) was escorted out between two experienced divers; a procedure the rescuers intended to use for the other men.
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After being trapped underground without food and water for more than a week, the men's health status remains uncertain.
Two other people, believed to have entered the cave before the other men, remain missing.
The rescue team said this Saturday (30) that it is assessing the situation and planning the next steps for the search and rescue operation.
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A rescuer from the team sent from Thailand to Laos to try to rescue men trapped in a cave after flooding - Reproduction/Rescue divers in Thailand via Facebook
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Mr. Mikko Pietari Paasi and Mr. Noraset Palasingh, two cave diving experts, after leaving the cave in Laos on a mission to rescue seven villagers - Thailand Rescue Diver via Facebook
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Thai rescuer enters cave in Laos to search for missing residents - Chakkit Taengtang via Facebook
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Diving experts with Thai rescue team in Laos - Thailand Rescue Diver via Facebook
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On May 26, the air compressor was sent from Thailand with the support of the Thai Public Security Support Team for the rescue operation in a cave in Laos - Thailand Rescue Diver via Facebook
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Thai rescue team on second day of mission to find workers trapped in cave in Laos - Thailand Rescue Diver via Facebook
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Source: CNN