Rescuers pull off difficult operation to save 5 men trapped inside Cyclops Cave
5 men are recovering after spending the weekend trapped 250 underground in a Virginia cave. They repelled into the cave Friday to camp but heavy rain flooded it, making their ropes muddy and slippery and they couldn't get out.
Five men are recovering after they were trapped underground in a flooded cave in southwest Virginia for nearly 48 hours. Rescuers spent Sunday devising a rescue for the men who were suffering from mild hypothermia and exhaustion.
Their ordeal began Friday evening when six men entered what's known as Cyclops Cave in the town of Cleveland. The group, whose members are familiar with the cave, was planning to camp and explore, according to Billy Chrimes, the search and rescue coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. However, a heavy downpour Saturday night made conditions muddy and wet. Their climbing ropes became slippery and they could not get out.
According to Chrimes, the temperature underground was in the 50s, which can seem comfortable under normal circumstances but can contribute to hyphothermia when someone is wet and not able to move around. Around 2 a.m. on Sunday, a 22-year-old in the group was finally able to climb to safety and call for help. In audio released by the Russell County Sheriff's office, the man can be heard telling dispatchers his dad, brother, uncle, and two friends need help. "They've been down there a long time and none of them's got warm clothes ...They are freezing and probably thirsty."
Cyclops Cave stretches for 7 miles but the men, ranging in age from 34 to 59 years old, were only about 100 feet deep. However, their rescue was difficult because they were in an extremely tight area that is notoriously difficult to climb. "Some of the passageways were not much wider than I am, chest to back, so, very tight, very hard to move," Chimes told reporters.
A view of the entrance to Cyclops Cave. (ABC Newsone)
Cave rescue teams from four states responded. A crew went into the cave to assess the situation and bring blankets, water and medical supplies. It took about 90 minutes for the crew to reach the men. The entire rescue took most of Sunday because of the small size of the cave, the difficult location where the men were trapped and cell phones and radios not working inside the cave. Ultimately, crews rigged ropes around trees at the cave's entrance then repelled in and hoisted the men out one by one.
A man is placed on a stretcher after being rescued from Cyclops Cave. (ABC Newsone)
"I’m happy to report that all individuals have been safety rescued from the cave in Cleveland, Virginia," tweeted Gov. Ralph Northam. "Sending my deepest gratitude to the first responders, @VDEM, (Virginia Department of Emergency Management) and search and rescue personnel who helped get them to safety."
Russell County EMA director Jess Powers told WJHL that four of the men were taken to a nearby hospital, while the other man was taken to Bristol Regional Medical Center in Tennessee. All are expected to be okay.
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