"An end that nobody saw coming" Gold prospectors in Laos rescue themselves from flood cave
In the midst of an elaborate rescue operation, four gold prospectors trapped in a flooded cave in Laos have surprisingly brought themselves to safety.
30.05.2026, 12:33
30.05.2026, 13:44
SDA
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- The four remaining gold prospectors were able to leave the flooded cave in Laos under their own power. This means that all five men who were previously found alive are now safe.
- Apparently the water level had dropped enough for them to pass through the narrow tunnels without having to dive.
- The men are being medically examined and were reportedly suffering from health problems due to their prolonged isolation.
- Two other missing persons are still missing and their chances of survival are considered slim.
The joy in Laos knows no bounds: The four remaining gold prospectors, who had been trapped in a flooded cave for around ten days, are free. They managed to reach the exit under their own steam in the afternoon (local time), Australian cave diver Josh Richards, who was involved in the rescue mission, told the German press agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
This means that all five gold seekers who were discovered alive in the cave in the remote province of Xaisomboun are now safe. The first man had already been rescued on Friday evening. The group had been discovered on Wednesday by rescue teams in a chamber hundreds of meters from the entrance.
Since then, specialists from all over the world have been working on plans for the complicated rescue through extremely narrow tunnels and flooded passages. There is still no trace of two other men who were in another part of the cave.
«An end that no one saw coming»
A video obtained by dpa showed how the men gradually climbed out of the mountain to the cheers of the rescue workers. A reporter from the US broadcaster CNN spoke of a "breathtaking end" to the drama. "An ending that nobody saw coming", he cheered.
It was initially unclear how exactly they managed to pass through the narrow passages characterized by sharp rock. Videos of the rescuers had previously repeatedly shown experts crawling through the tunnels and only making progress by centimetres.
"They did it all by themselves - we were just pumping out water and outside the cave," said Richards. "I was just about to go back into the cave when they suddenly came out of there." Apparently, the water level in the cave had dropped so low that the prospectors no longer needed to dive. "Then they just took the plunge," said CNN reporter Will Ripley, who was on site.
The very high water level over the last few days was one of the biggest obstacles to the rescue mission, as the men had no experience with diving equipment. The water was also extremely murky and freezing cold. Another problem was the lack of oxygen: the air in the chamber and in the narrow tunnels was reportedly very poor.
In the morning, Richards had told dpa that the risk of further rescue attempts was too high. The dangers had to be contained before attempts could be made to rescue the other men. Instead, they emerged unexpectedly at the cave entrance a few hours later to loud cries of joy from the emergency services.
Health problems due to permanent dampness
The four prospectors were taken on stretchers to ambulances and are now being medically examined. Rescue workers had previously reported that some of those trapped were suffering from skin problems due to the constant dampness as well as stomach and intestinal complaints. In messages to their relatives, the men had warned days ago that they could not survive much longer in the chamber. It was not initially known how they were doing.
Despite the happy outcome for the five survivors, the rescue mission is not yet over. Two men are still missing. According to the emergency services, they have already searched most of the widely ramified cave system, but have so far found no trace of the missing men. There is little hope of finding them alive.
