Diver Josh Richards clarified reports about rescuers hearing a “knocking” noise as they work to free two men who remain trapped in an intricate cave system in Laos.
A diver working as part of a team in a race against time to rescue two men stuck in a cave in central Laos said a “knocking noise” reportedly heard from inside the cave system was actually him trying to elicit a response from the trapped men.
Australian cave diver Josh Richards spoke on TODAY June 2 about the efforts to save the men in a cave network in Xaisomboun province. May 31 that divers were using a hammer to knock on rocks in attempt to signal to the missing two men. He said at the time there was no positive confirmation. Richards clarified on TODAY that the reported sound was actually made by him.
“I will clarify that the knocking noise that folks have referred to, that was me,” he told Craig Melvin and Savannah Guthrie. “That was me in the actual vertical tube knocking against the wall and then trying to listen for a response. “I did hear something that I didn’t recognize, but I would not have described as a knock,” he continued. “Maybe a scratch.
There are also bats in the cave. So I think there has been a lot of excitement about this knocking sound.
“The reality is I was the guy in the tube, and I certainly didn’t hear someone knocking back. That is not what happened, but it sounds like there’s been some mistranslation and a little bit of false hope based on what I was trying to report back. ” Seven men searching for gold in the labyrinthine cave network were trapped more than a week ago when heavy rains flooded the entrance.
Five of the seven have since been freed, including four men who incredibly crawled out on their own over the weekend, one day after Richards is part of a group of specialist divers from Australia, Finland, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and France who were mobilized to try to extract the remaining men.
“Honestly, when the four came out in particular, it was just shock,” Richards said. “We were absolutely not expecting that in any shape or form. ” Richards said rescuers had been running pumps in the cave to reduce the water levels and help free the men.
“And the pumps were just about to stop,” he said. “I was halfway through a conversation with Mikko discussing what we would do if one of the guys had died overnight, and what I would have to potentially do with the body, and mid-sentence we start hearing cheers behind us, spin around, and there’s these four muddy faces that have popped out of the cave. We couldn’t believe it.
” After the water level had dropped enough, the men crawled about 350 meters back out to the entrance to the caves over the top of the running pumps, Richards said. Richards also described the difficult conditions divers are facing when trying to penetrate deeper into the cave system to rescue the remaining two men.
“I’ll be honest, the entire thing kind of feels like a muddy tube of despair, especially the initial entrance,” Richards said. “You climb down a series of rocks, and eventually you get down to what is essentially a channel, and that involves squeezing and pulling yourself along using the actual hoses that are running through the cave itself.
“There’s a point about halfway along that first dip where I have to take my helmet off and squeeze through, and I’ve got my head running against the roof while my face is half covered in mud at the same time,” he added. “So for someone like me who is actually claustrophobic, it is a deeply unpleasant experience. ”) that brings the day's news, health tips, parenting stories, recipes and uplifting stories right to your inbox.
He has been a regular contributor for TODAY.com since 2011, producing features and news for pop culture, parents, politics, health, style, food and pretty much everything else. Fun in the Sun, Here We Come! Shop a Spray-On Lotion, Exfoliating Shower Towel and More Summer Finds Under $40
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Rescue diver detailsvery heartwarming moments after 4 miners emerged from Laos caveLead rescue diver Mikko Paasi said it took him a moment to realize the four trapped miners had "self-rescued."
Read more »
Heavy rains threaten to delay search for 2 people still missing in Laos caveHeavy rains have threatened the search for two people still missing in a flooded cave in Laos. Five other people who were trapped underground have been rescued.
Read more »
Rescuers in Laos Evacuate Five Villagers from Flooded Cave, Two Still MissingRescue teams in Laos successfully evacuated five villagers trapped for nearly two weeks in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province. Two people remain missing as heavy rainfall hinders operations. International divers from multiple countries are assisting in the search for alternative passages.
Read more »
Laos Cave Rescue: 'Knocking Sound' Heard as Search for Trapped Villagers ContinuesRescue workers searching flooded caves in Laos reported hearing a knocking sound from inside the system as they sought to extricate two people who have been missing for nearly two weeks.
Read more »