Thai Divers Join Laos Cave Rescue for 7 Trapped, Reaching Within 40 Meters

12 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 25

Seven people have been trapped for five days in a flooded cave in Laos’s Xaysomboun province, and Thai rescuers who worked on the 2018 Tham Luang mission joined the operation on Monday.
Heavy rain triggered landslides that sealed the entrance after the group entered on Wednesday to hunt wildlife and reportedly search for gold, forcing rescuers through narrow, muddy passages only 50-60 cm high.
Rescue teams got within 40 meters of the suspected shelter on Sunday night but had to retreat when rising water and sediment blocked a 50 cm gap; crews are now pumping water and laying guide ropes.
No signs of life have been detected, but rescuers say an escapee reported a dry chamber deeper inside the cave and believe the trapped men may still be alive because air remains in the system.
The case also highlights Laos’s recent alluvial gold rush—nearly 200 mines opened from 2023 to 2025—despite a government ban last year on new alluvial gold permits.

Why might this Laos cave rescue prove even harder than the famous 2018 Thai mission?

What is driving Laotians to risk flooded caves for gold, defying a government ban?

A 50cm gap blocks the rescue. How can divers overcome this final, deadly obstacle?