First survivor pulled out after being trapped by flooding
Jintamas Saksornchay And Grant Peck
Rescue divers in Laos on Friday night safely evacuated the first of five local villagers trapped in a cave by floodwaters for more than a week.
Lao and Thai rescue workers Posted the news on social mediaaccompanied by a video showing the first villager rescued with a lamp tied to his forehead. The villager, whose identity could not be immediately determined, was walking unsteadily with the help of two men. They handed him over to other team members in the middle of a crowd waiting for a medical check-up.
The five men were found by divers on Wednesday, but that left rescue teams with two serious tasks: to rescue the five men and find two more who are still missing.
It was unclear Friday night whether further evacuations would be attempted.
Rescuers had pumped water out of the flooded cave’s passages on Friday, but overnight rain made their work difficult.
The stranded men were provided with water, soft food and foil blankets to stay warm.
Villagers reportedly entered the cave last week to search for valuable minerals and were subsequently trapped by flash floods that blocked their exit.
Another villager escaped in time and reported the remaining seven people to the authorities.
