Rescue Mission in Laos Cave: Survivor’s Tale
Through long days and nights trapped in a flooded cave, Mued Duangsomdy focused on food. He and four others had little with them when they entered a mazelike cave in central Laos last month. They were prospecting for gold but ended up trapped.
“It was all dark, so we didn’t know days or nights,” Mued, 23, told NBC News. He was the first to emerge from the cave after a major rescue operation. Two miners who entered earlier remain missing after more than two weeks.
Man rescued from cave believes other men are alive
Thai rescue member Chakkrit Taengtang said an earthquake caused the cave entrance to collapse, flooding the chambers. “The mission was already difficult, and now it has become even more challenging,” he explained. Rescuers focused on draining water and exploring alternate entrances, with diving operations halted due to risks of trapping divers.
Mued had previously joined his village’s amateur prospectors, so he was familiar with the cave’s unpleasant conditions. They were unaware of a storm outside until it sent water gushing into the cave, trapping them over 800 feet from the entrance.
For three days, they sought escape routes without success. “Then we realized we were stuck,” Mued said. The men waited in darkness, with no food and little water. Hunger and blisters plagued Mued as morale fell.
Hope came when two divers emerged from the water. “I thought I would be dead,” Mued recalled. The rescue captivated those seeking hopeful stories like the 2018 Thailand cave rescue.
Finding the men was only the beginning. Rescuers faced jagged rocks, dirty water, and low visibility. “It’s an incredibly hostile environment,” Australian diver Josh Richards stated. Rescuers provided the men with food and water and worked to boost their strength and confidence for the exit.
Mued worried about using scuba gear. “I thought if I don’t go out, I could die,” he said. Food motivated him throughout. “I only thought, I want to eat,” he said. Nine days in, Mued emerged, muddy and unsteady, to a scene of celebration. “I was so damn happy,” he smiled.
The next day, the remaining four men surprised rescuers by crawling out as divers prepared to enter. “Two miracles,” Richards noted, referring to Mued and the four others. “I think people are hoping for a third,” he said, as two families wait for news of the missing.
Mued knows the two missing men well. He described a cave intersection with three paths and hopes they survive. “I think they are patient and still waiting because they have responsibilities,” he said. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Mued believes in their resilience. “I think they can tough it out,” he said.