Man pulled alive from South Wales cave after getting injured and trapped underground for two days - Sky News

A man has been rescued from a cave system in the Brecon Beacons after getting injured and being stuck for two days.

Rescue workers pulled the man out of Ogof Ffynnon Ddu near Penwyllt this evening following a 54-hour ordeal.

The caver in his 40s is alive and has been taken to hospital in an ambulance. Rescuers say he is in good condition.

Image: Rescuers walk towards the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave system near Penwyllt, Powys in the Brecon Beacons, Wales

The South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team said the man fell while caving in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu near Penwyllt on Saturday.

He was unable to climb out because of the injuries he suffered in the fall.

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His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening, but are believed to include a broken jaw, leg, and spinal injuries.

Sky News reporter Becky Johnson witnessed the moment he was brought to the surface on a stretcher in dark and wet conditions.

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Peter Francis, of the South Wales Caving Club (SWCC), thinks it was the longest rescue mission in a cave in Britain.

"To actually carry somebody in a stretcher, this is a 60 hour job. It's unbelievable," he told Sky News.

"It's involved most of the rescue teams in Britain and the way they've worked together, meshed together - I just feel so proud of all of them."

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Applause rang out after a man was rescued from a cave after being stuck for two days.

Image: There are several entrances to the cave system

Discussing the man's condition, he said: "He's in good condition. I was here when the call out started. I was very worried then, would we get him out alive or would he deteriorate?

"All Saturday we were worried. Most of yesterday we were worried. So this is a huge relief for us."

Image: Rescuers at the entrance of the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave system

Image: The man has been taken to hospital in an ambulance

He added: "He was just incredibly unlucky. Physically, he put his foot in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"He could have done it on a pavement, in which case he would have been in hospital 10 minutes afterwards.

"But he was a mile or two underground in an awkward place. All the odds were against him, but his mental powers properly got him through. He was in an awful lot of pain to begin with, until we could get the drugs to him. He stood by all that.

"I'm absolutely impressed to no end how the teams worked together. A lot of them didn't know each other and had never worked together before. And the fact they pulled this off - I'm absolutely thrilled."

Eyewitness, by Becky Johnson, news correspondent

By a small entrance to the vast cave system beneath the Brecon Beacons a team of rescue workers are waiting with a stretcher, hoping their colleagues deep inside the cave will be able to bring the injured man out safely.

It’s an anxious wait, the rescue made harder by fog and rain.

As darkness falls there’s resignation the conditions are too poor for a helicopter to be here to carry him to hospital once he’s out.

But after more than 48 hours rescue workers are hopeful their mission is now in its final stages.

They’re giving regular updates to the family of the man who’s in his mid 40s and an experienced caver.

Now 70 of the 250 strong team of rescuers are currently underground for the final push to get him out.

The cave is treacherous, narrow passages with vertical drops - some stretches filled with water.

There will be relief once he’s out - but until then the work continues.

The man is thought to have gone into the cave system in a group, who managed to get out and call for help.

The severity of his injuries are unclear, but he was placed on a stretcher and rescuers used a device that put hot air into his lungs, as they fought to keep him warm so he did not catch hypothermia.

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2021-11-08 21:03:10Z
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