How Divers Found 5 Men Trapped in Flooded Laos Cave for a Week

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Rescuers in Laos have found five survivors among a group of seven men who were trapped for a week in a flooded cave while trying to find gold. The search for the remaining two miners is still ongoing.

“I’m still trembling,” said Bounkham Luanglath, the leader of Laos’ Rescue Volunteer for People, in an interview with the Associated Press on May 27th. “Our team was able to make this rescue happen.” His team shared videos online showing them joyfully celebrating outside the cave after receiving confirmation of the successful outcome.

The search is still ongoing for two villagers who haven’t been seen since entering a cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19th, according to Luanglath.

The initial rescue attempt began on May 20th, but strong rain and difficult conditions turned it into a several-day effort. A video from Rescue Volunteer for People showed the team finding five men—some with headlamps—sitting on a rock surrounded by floodwater after navigating through muddy cave tunnels.

The organization said in a Facebook post that the men were “all safe.”

Here is what to know about the complicated rescue and ongoing search for the men still missing:

Who are the men found in a flooded cave in Laos?

The identities of the five men rescued and the two still missing remain unknown. However, Luanglath told the Associated Press earlier this week that the cave, with its narrow opening, was a familiar location for people searching for gold in the region, which has both commercial gold and copper mines.

People hoping to mine in the area have been cautioned about dangerous conditions. Rescue teams, as reported by BBC News, say some cave tunnels are incredibly narrow – as little as 20 inches wide.

All seven are said to be from a village in Xaisomboun province, in central Laos.

How did the villagers get trapped in a cave in Laos?

Rescuers from Laos and Thailand say the group went into the cave on May 19th. A sudden, heavy rainfall then caused a flash flood that trapped them inside by blocking the way out.

As a lifestyle and safety expert, let me tell you, it’s incredible how quickly things can change. Thankfully, one man was able to get out and immediately alerted the authorities. For days, though, we had absolutely no word from the five still trapped inside that cave – it wasn’t until May 27th that rescuers finally made contact with them. It was a tense time, waiting for any sign of life.

A volunteer with the People’s Luanglath rescue team told France’s AFP, as reported by CBS News, that they hadn’t yet found any evidence that the missing individuals were still alive.

Who found the missing villagers in the flooded Laos cave?

Rescuers from Thailand and Laos, some of whom were involved in the famous 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue that saved a soccer team and their coach, are now working together to find the missing miners.

How did divers find the trapped men in the Laos cave?

Reaching the cave openings requires a 2.5-mile hike. Divers first entered the cave on May 20th, the day after the group became trapped, but a landslide caused by heavy rain blocked their progress, according to Lao Phattana News, as reported by Reuters. They began removing sand, gravel, and water, and on May 24th, Kengkard Bongkawong, leader of the Metta Tham Rescue team from Thailand, posted on social media that he believed they were close to reaching the main area, estimating they had less than 20 meters to go.

Rescuers posted videos online showing them using flashlights to navigate through muddy areas and water that was sometimes as high as their chests.

“All day, all night,” Bongkawong wrote May 24, “water was still being pumped out.”

Mikko Paasi, a Finnish diver based in Thailand and one of the rescuers involved in the 2018 cave rescue, told BBC News on May 27th that the cave presented extremely difficult conditions. Once inside, rescuers had to carefully move through hundreds of meters of narrow passages filled with water, facing potential collapses and the risk of breathing contaminated air.

Hours later, five villagers were found alive.

Paasi shared their excitement on Instagram, writing, “What a feeling!” They acknowledged the challenge of the project, praising the incredible effort of everyone involved.

How will rescuers get the stranded villagers out of the flooded cave in Laos?

Paasi acknowledged the challenging work so far, praising everyone’s efforts. He expressed gratitude to all the teams involved, but cautioned that the situation isn’t over. While the five survivors currently in the terminal chamber are healthy and positive, their rescue will still be difficult.

My colleague and I need to immediately return with more supplies for the miners so they can regain their strength and prepare to escape.

Paasi explained to CBS News that he and his teammate will keep looking for the two missing divers. He added that the most important thing right now is to get food and water to the survivors still trapped inside the cave before they can be brought out safely.

He said the best solution would be to pump out enough water for everyone to simply walk to safety, but even then, the rough, rocky ground and tight spaces inside the cave would still make it a difficult journey.

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2026-05-27 22:17