"At 8:40 p.m. on 29/5, the first victim was brought out of the cave," the Lao People's Volunteer Rescue Team announced on Facebook.
A video released by the group showed rescue workers assisting a weak man wearing a headlamp. The individual was then transferred to a medical team for health checks. Their identity is not yet known.
This individual is one of 5 survivors found on 27/5 in a cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, approximately 125 km northeast of the capital Vientiane. They were identified as Khamla, Mued, Ee, Ing, and Laen, and were stable but exhausted from dehydration and hunger.
The group was part of 7 gold prospectors who entered the cave on 20/5 and became trapped when heavy rains caused flash floods, blocking the exit. The two remaining individuals are missing; they are believed to have entered the cave earlier and lost contact with the group of 5.
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Rescue teams care for the first person rescued from the flooded cave in Laos. Photo: Lao People's Volunteer Rescue Team |
Cave rescue teams from Laos, Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia are participating in the ongoing rescue efforts. Reports indicate that experts from Indonesia and France are also expected to arrive to provide support.
Chakkit Taengtang of the Sai Than Association, a Thai rescue organization, stated that the evacuation of the remaining 4 individuals has been postponed until 30/5, as they were not yet prepared.
According to Gary Mitchell, spokesperson for the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team of the British Cave Rescue Council, an effective rescue plan depends on: "the diving distance, the narrowness of passages, the actual size of the cave system, and available support resources." Other essential conditions typically include space and equipment for refilling oxygen tanks, along with a supporting medical team.
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Location of the 7 trapped individuals. Graphic: AP |
Rescue teams must also weigh the risks of guiding non-diving survivors through zero-visibility water against waiting for water levels to recede, Mitchell explained. Mitchell previously participated in the 2018 operation to rescue 12 boys and their football coach who were trapped deep inside a cave in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, for over two weeks due to heavy rains flooding the entrance.
"People cannot be left trapped underground for too long without medical assistance, sufficient supplies, and clean water, as their condition will deteriorate," Mitchell warned on 28/5.
Mikko Paasi, a Finnish diver involved in the rescue mission, previously stated that rescue teams had searched approximately 95% of the cave but found no trace of the two remaining individuals. He noted that the 5 survivors were unaware that two other people were also trapped. "There aren't many places left to search," he said. "The chances of finding these two are slim."
By Nhu Tam (AP, CNN)
