Man rescued after being trapped 54 hours in cave
AN injured man has been rescued from a cave after spending more than two days trapped inside.
The man was brought out of Ogof Ffynnon Ddu in the Brecon Beacons at around 7.45pm last night following a 54-hour ordeal.
After being lifted to the surface he was clapped and cheered by rescuers before being helped into a cave rescue Land Rover ready to be transported down to a waiting ambulance.
Around 70 volunteers made their way down off the mountain to the rescue centre before watching as the man, who is in his 40s, was driven away to Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
Described as an experienced caver, the man had been trapped since Saturday at around 1pm after suffering a fall. His injuries are said to be non-life threatening, but are believed to include a broken jaw, leg, and spinal injuries.
More than 240 people have been involved in the operation, and at least eight cave rescue teams from around the UK.
Peter Francis, a SMWCRT spokesperson, said the rescue was the longest in South Wales caving history.
The 74-year-old said: “This is the longest rescue we’ve ever done but we’re very pleased with the progress being made.
“The caver was very unlucky here. He’s an experienced caver, a fit caver. And it was a matter of putting his foot in the wrong place.
“He wasn’t in a dangerous part of the cave, it’s just something moved from under him.”
The man has not yet been identified but was said to be an experienced caver. He was part of a group exploring the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave system in the Brecon Beacons in Wales when he fell.
Rescuers managed to locate the man and put him on a stretcher. While they have not yet revealed how far he fell or the extent of his injuries, one rescuer said: “He’s lucky to be with us. He’s in a bad way.”
Paul Taylor, spokesman for South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team, said: “The incident started around 1pm on Saturday when a man who was with him alerted us that his partner had fallen.
“I don’t actually know how many were in the group but there would’ve been more than two.
“They had gone in the Cwmdoor entrance, which is the middle entrance, before he fell.”
Asked about the man’s condition, Mr Taylor, also the chairman of the Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group, said: “He’s doing pretty good as far as I understand. He’s been talking throughout, so that’s something.”
He said rescuers kept the man fed and warm as well.
At least eight rescue teams from across the UK joined the operation, including the Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group, Midlands Cave Rescue Organisation, Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation, Mendip Cave Rescue, South East Cave Rescue Organisation, the Cave Rescue Organisation, and Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association.
Mountain rescue was also on site in case the man was unable to be airlifted to hospital by helicopter because of the weather and needs to be carried down the mountain.
Several South Wales Ambulance Service vehicles are also present, including their HART team who are trained specifically to deal with large-scale incidents, and are supplying the cavers with O2 cylinders.
The caves, located near Penwyllt, are 300 metres deep, making them the deepest in the UK.
Discovered in 1947, they are also the third longest caves in the UK stretching more than 30 miles.