Divers rescue 5 of 7 men trapped in Laos cave after more than 1 week, operations ongoing

Five of seven men trapped inside a semi-submerged cave in Laos have been rescued after more than a week.

The seven men had been hunting for gold in the cave located in Xaysomboun province on May 20 when flash floods stranded them, The Bangkok Post reported.

Rescuers earlier found the five men alive in a narrow shaft about 300m from the cave's entrance.

A video filmed by rescue divers showed the men muddy and crying in relief.

Five men rescued

Thai rescue group Metta Tham Kalasin Rescue posted on their Facebook page on May 29 of the first rescue, along with pictures of the man.

One post from the rescue group showed rescuers teaching the trapped men how to use diving equipment.

In an update on May 30, the group said all five men have since been rescued, while the search for the remaining two continues.

Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, who was involved in the Thai youth football team cave rescue in 2018, was one of two divers who first discovered the five men.

Speaking about the first rescue, Paasi told CBS News that he and his fellow rescuers essentially "sandwiched" the man between them through the cave.

It was the man's first time scuba diving, Paasi said, describing the situation as a "trust-me dive".

"I got him through the restrictions and everything and, and he's healthy and he's alive," Paasi reportedly said.

Difficult rescue

Thai rescue team member Kengkard Bonggawong reportedly said the rescue operation was challenging as the cave's passages were narrow and stretched hundreds of metres for the rescuers to dive through.

Specialist divers from Thailand, Indonesia, France, and Australia have been involved in the operation, BBC reported.

Malaysian cave diver Lee Kian Lie is also helping in the rescue.

Paasi told CBS News that the environment in this current rescue was "so hostile" that anything can happen.

The round trip to where the group is trapped takes a trained team of divers about five hours.

Efforts are also complicated by the monsoon season, Paasi said.