Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

5 Gold Miners Found Alive in Laos Cave, But Getting Them Out Will Be Easier Said Than Done

Rescue divers reached the survivors deep inside the cave, where dangerous conditions are making extraction extremely difficult.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

Five villagers trapped for more than a week inside a flooded cave in Laos have been found alive, according to CNN. Now begins the more dangerous part of the operation: getting them out alive.

The group entered the cave system in Xaisomboun province in search of gold when a heavy rainstorm triggered a flash flood, sealing off the exit with water, mud, gravel, and debris. Rescue divers reached the five survivors on Wednesday afternoon as the men were huddled together in a chamber about 300 meters from the entrance, some with their headlamps still fully functioning, so at least they had some light.

The survivors........

© Vice