A major rescue operation is underway in Wales to get an injured man out of a huge cave system he has been stuck in since Saturday.
More than 50 rescuers are helping the complex effort in the Brecon Beacons, where the caver hurt his back in one of the country’s longest caves.
He fell in the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave system near Penwyllt, Powys, and was unable to get himself because of his injuries.
Another caver alerted police, who then told the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team – but they were unable to free the man in Britain’s third longest cave system.
Now eight rescue teams from across the UK have arrived to join the rescue effort.
A guide to the cave system describes it as ‘classic in the UK, and its [around 60km (37 miles)] of passages provide everything from huge chambers, beautiful formations, to yawning chasms and thundering river passages.
‘The routes though the cave are too numerous to mention.’
The caves, which are about 275m (902ft) at its deepest point, can only be accessed by people with a permit from the South Wales Caving Club.
One regular caver said: ‘It’s a well known cave system, very popular with cavers and it is in the middle of a nature reserve.
‘It’s a really popular cave system, usually recommended for more experienced cavers rather than novices.’
An expert rescue team who helped saved a young Thai football team in another notorious caving incident in 2018 are leading the search.
The team members were underground for 18 days before being freed with help from the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team, which confirmed it was called in to initiate a response.
It added: ‘This incident is ongoing and involves cave rescuers from teams across the UK’.
Those involved in the current rescue also include Gloucester Cave Rescue Group, Midlands Cave Rescue Organisation, Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation, Mendip Cave Rescue, South East Cave Rescue Organisation, Cave Rescue Organisation, and Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association.
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