Rescue Mission Underway in Laos Gold Mine Flooding

An international team has made significant progress by rescuing the first of seven men trapped in a flooded gold mine in Laos. This relief comes after the group had been cut off for over a week.

The initial survivor was brought to safety following a perilous 37-minute operation. Skilled divers navigated through a completely submerged bottleneck, facing nearly no visibility and overcoming challenges like narrow, water-filled tunnels and hazards from rock formations.

“The first bullet is out. It’s safe!!!” declared Manat Artmongkrong, a rescue engineer with the Thai Saitan Saphanboon Foundation, in a jubilant Facebook update.

This crisis began on May 19 when seven local villagers from Saisombun province ventured into a cave searching for gold. Unforeseen heavy monsoon rains created flash floods, which quickly submerged the exit with mud and water. One villager managed to escape before the entrance was completely blocked and raised the alarm with local officials.

Rescuers faced a daunting task, first having to hike three miles up steep terrain to reach the cave site. They then marshaled heavy equipment to facilitate access, allowing teams to bring in essential pumps and lighting for rescue operations.

On Wednesday, an international diving team, including veterans known for the rescue of the Tham Luang soccer team in Thailand in 2018, located five of the seven trapped men sheltered on a rock ledge about 980 feet from the cave’s entrance. Unfortunately, the whereabouts of the remaining two villagers are still unknown.

Australian cave diver Josh Richards, who participated in Friday’s mission, noted the underwater visibility was nearly zero as preparations commenced for the next phase of the rescue. The situation is rather urgent, as teams are racing to pump water out of the cave before more rain arrives.

“You’re essentially submerged in coffee. You can’t see through the coffee,” Richards described, highlighting the challenging conditions.

With time running short, Kenkard Bongkawon, operations head at Metta Tam Rescue, emphasized on social media that the health of the remaining men was deteriorating, and fresh rainfall could lead to renewed flooding.

“Rescue operations are extremely difficult as we have to move them through narrow passages spanning hundreds of meters and dive underwater,” Bongkawon explained.

The first man rescued has been hospitalized and is stable, undergoing medical checks. After a brief rest, the diving team plans to return through the tight 50 cm opening to retrieve the remaining survivors one at a time.