Five Gold Miners Escape Flooded Cave in Laos After 10 Days

Five gold miners, trapped for over a week in a flooded cave in Laos, have dramatically escaped on their own. Rescue efforts, including pumping out water, lowered the water level enough for them to walk out.

Sun May 31 2026

Dramatic Rescue of Miners Trapped in Laos Cave

Five gold miners who were trapped for 10 days in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun Province, Laos, have successfully escaped. The men had been battling hunger, cold, and uncertainty after heavy rains caused flooding that sealed them inside. Initially, rescue divers planned to bring them out, but after days of pumping out floodwaters, the water level dropped sufficiently for the miners to scramble out themselves.

The Rescue Operation and Survivors' Account

Rescue workers expressed shock and relief as the muddy men emerged from the cave. The miners, who had entered the cave looking for gold, were cut off by heavy rains that also triggered deadly landslides. Divers navigated through murky, coffee-colored waters in tunnels that were only about one and a half feet wide at their narrowest points, stretching nearly three football fields in length. One of the men said he would not have lasted through the weekend. While five men are now safe, there were reportedly two more in their group. The head of the Thai rescue group plans to go about 80 feet deeper into the cave, although that section is still heavily flooded.

*Source: YouTube: CBS News (2026-05-31)*

Tags: #Laos #CaveRescue #Flooding #Disaster #MineRescue