Five men were found alive after more than a week trapped inside a flooded cave in central Laos. They had entered the cave searching for gold when torrential rain caused flash flooding and sealed the exit behind them. On May 27, 2026, international divers reached the men on a rocky ledge in the darkness, more than 260 meters inside the mountain. The men were weak and hungry but in good spirits.
The rescue team includes experienced divers who previously saved 12 boys and their coach from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018. Leading the operation is Mikko Paasi, a Finnish cave diver, and Thai rescuer Kengkard Bongkawong. They face enormous challenges: the cave entrance requires a four-kilometer hike through jungle, passages are barely wide enough for one person, and deeper sections force rescuers to crawl on their stomachs through stone only 60 centimeters wide.
The flooded tunnels offer almost no visibility. One rescuer described diving conditions as like swimming in coffee. Toxic hydrogen sulfide gas from decomposing bat droppings adds another danger in the poorly ventilated space.
Rescuers are considering pumping water from the cave so the men can walk out rather than dive through the flooded passages with masks, as happened in Thailand. Specialist divers from Japan, France, Indonesia, and Thailand are arriving to help. Two other people remain missing from the cave. For the five survivors waiting in darkness, rescue is close but difficult challenges still lie ahead.