5 people rescued from cave in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Rescuers on Monday successfully freed five people who had been trapped in a cave for more than two days because of high water levels.

“It is a day of happiness, it’s a day of life,” said Sandi Curk with the Slovenian civil protection service after water levels receded inside the Krizna Jama cave in southwestern Slovenia, making the rescue possible.

Those rescued are in good spirits, said Igor Benko, head of the Speleological Association of Slovenia.

None needed medical help and all came through the ordeal well, doctor Zlatko Pogorilic said. “I think we were lucky it all ended like this,” he said.

The family of three adults and their two guides, all from Slovenia, didn’t appear at the news conference.

They got stuck in the cave Saturday because of heavy rainfall. The five-mile cave system with a string of emerald-colored underground lakes is accessible only by boat and raft and with a guide.

The five were found in a dry area about two kilometers inside the cave. A six-member team of divers carried out the hourslong rescue operation, bringing them out in a small boat. The water temperature inside the cave was 42 degrees Fahrenheit with very low visibility.