Rescuers save cave divers after 69-hour search in Guangxi

Two members of a scientific research team trapped in an underwater cave in Baise, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, have been miraculously found and rescued following a 69-hour search, CCTV News reported.

The team, who had set out to study aquatic cave creatures, entered the underwater cave on Feb 5. Five of the members dived under the water and two of them didn't return by around 7 pm. After receiving the call for help from their fellow teammates, the Baise public security bureau immediately activated its emergency response mechanism, mobilizing police, emergency services, fire departments, and medical teams.

Rescuers faced significant challenges due to the cave's complex structure and low visibility, and not knowing the location of the missing people. The main chamber's maximum length is approximately 200 meters and its widest section is about 80 meters, with water depths exceeding 15 meters. The rescue team used five 200-meter long reels to deploy guide ropes from the cave's entrance to help navigate the underwater terrain. After over four hours of diving operations, the first missing explorer was located at 4:30 am on Feb 6, about 16 meters underwater in an air chamber, roughly 300 meters from the initial search point. The individual was brought to safety an hour and a half later.

The search continued for the other missing explorer in the complex cave system. With visibility limited to just 3 meters, rescuers relied solely on portable lights. On the third day of the search, rescuers expanded the search area, making over 10 dives and checking multiple underwater chambers, while the person remained unaccounted for more than 60 hours.

Fortunately, after 69 hours of relentless search, they found the second missing person in an air chamber 28 meters below the water surface, roughly 500 meters from the initial search point. The explorer was extremely frail after being without food for three days but was able to be safely evacuated and transported to a hospital. His condition was reported as stable.