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Five people who were trapped in a cave in Slovenia for more than two days due to heavy rainfall and rising water levels were successfully rescued Monday.
Family and guides became trapped as heavy rainfall raised water levels in the cave in southwestern SloveniaThe Associated Press
· Posted: Jan 08, 2024 4:09 PM EST | Last Updated: 7 hours ago
Five trapped cavers in Slovenia rescued after 55 hoursRescuers extracted five people trapped for more than two days in the Krizna cave in southern Slovenia after it flooded due to torrential rains. Experienced divers used an inflatable boat and pulled individual tour members through the labyrinth before they were able to walk out.
Five people who have been trapped in a cave in Slovenia for more than two days due to heavy rainfall and high water levels were successfully rescued on Monday.
“It is a day of happiness, it’s a day of life,” said Sandi Curk of the Slovenian civil protection service.
The family of three adults and their two guides, all from Slovenia, became stuck in the cave on Saturday after heavy rainfall raised the water level. The eight-kilometre cave system with a string of emerald-coloured underground lakes is accessible only by boat and raft with a guide.
Water levels receded inside the Krizna Jama cave in southwestern Slovenia on Monday, making the rescue possible.
A rescue worker stands at the entrance of Krizna Cave where five people were rescued from floodwaters caused by rainfall. (Jure Makovec/AFP)Those rescued were located in a dry area about two kilometres inside the cave. A six-member team of divers carried out the hours-long rescue operation, bringing them out in a small boat. The water temperature inside the cave was 6 C with very low visibility.
Those rescued did not appear at the news conference, but were in good spirits, according to Igor Benko, head of the Speleological Association of Slovenia.
Sandi Curk, Commander of the civil protection headquarters for the Notranjska region, speaks to journalists after five people were successfully rescued from Krizna Cave. (AFP via Getty Images)None needed medical help and all have taken the ordeal well, said doctor Zlatko Pogorilić. “I think we were lucky it all ended like this,” he said.
Slovenia is known for its more than 14,000 caves, with Krizna Jama being the fourth-biggest known underground ecosystem in the world.
