The first Laotian survivor is rescued from a flooded cave in a mountainous area in Xaysomboun province, Laos, Friday. On Saturday, the other four men were able to walk and crawl out of the cave on their own after waters receded. Two men are still missing. Photo by Metta Tham Kalasin Rescue/EPA
May 30 (UPI) — After 10 days trapped deep in a narrow cave, four Laotian men were able to walk out of the mine Saturday where rescuers were working to save them.
The last four of the five men found deep in the cave were able to crawl and walk out after rescuers were able to pump out enough water so that they didn’t have to scuba their way out, as the first did on Friday. Rescuers were preparing to go in and get them, but the men came out before they started.
Social media video showed them hugging each other and crying on land as medical teams prepared to work on them. Their medical condition is unclear.
Rescuers had delivered food and water to the miners over the past three days to keep them alive and help them gain strength and energy, which helped them get out.
Two more miners are still missing in another entrance to the cave, and rescuers haven’t made contact with them. But they believe they know where they are, and have said they believe they are alive. They also believe the two men went in earlier than the other five.
President of the Lao People’s Volunteer Association Bounkham Luanglath told The Vientiane Times Friday that he was “fairly confident” that the two men were still alive, “because there are no signs of death and there is no foul or stale odor, which is a positive sign.”
Malaysian rescue diver Lee Kian Lie told CNN that the team is trying to move machinery deeper into the cave to try to pump out more water before trying to find the two missing miners.
Search teams are also exploring another side of the mountain.
Rescue personnel are now trying to locate an area identified by locals and determine if there is an alternative route to reach the two missing men.
After rescuing the first miner on Friday, lead rescuer Mikko Paasi told CBS News that he and his fellow divers “sandwiched” him between them to lead him through the waters of the partially submerged cave. Paasi called it a “trust-me dive,” since they were diving in conditions that would be difficult for world-class divers, and there was no time for real training.
“It’s not a nice place to dive,” Paasi said. “The guy was super strong and … props for him for that.”
The first man rescued spoke via video to his family and rescuers in footage shared by non-profit Lao Saychai Foundation and reported by CNN. He identified himself as Mued, 23, from Ban Pha Yai village.
“I’d like to thank everyone, all my relatives, brothers and sisters,” Mued said. “Thank you very much to the district and provincial authorities, and everyone who came to help.”
