Five gold hunters found alive after week trapped in Laos cave

Five gold hunters were pulled alive from a muddy terminal chamber in a Laos cave, their headtorches still lit after about a week trapped underground, while rescuers kept searching for two others.

The five were among seven Lao nationals who entered a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province, north of Vientiane, on May 19 to look for gold. Heavy rain triggered flash flooding that sealed the exit, turning a remote search for ore into a life-threatening emergency deep in central Laos. One man escaped before the entrance was blocked and alerted authorities, setting off the rescue effort.

By Wednesday, May 27, rescuers said five men had been located alive and in good health. Divers emerged from the muddy water to find the survivors on a rock in a terminal chamber, dirty, hungry-looking and still alive after eight days underground. Two men remained missing, and teams said the search would continue.

The operation drew dozens of Lao and Thai rescuers, along with divers and volunteer groups who worked through the cave’s flooded passages. Thai cave experts who took part in the dramatic 2018 Tham Luang rescue in northern Thailand joined the effort, bringing hard-won experience from the operation that saved 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave. One rescue leader said teams were “racing against time” as the search entered its seventh day.

Videos from the scene showed rescuers embracing, crying and cheering after the five men were found, a brief release in a case that still hinged on the fate of the last two missing. The survival of the five did not close the story. It only sharpened it.

Authorities in central Laos had previously warned people not to enter caves looking for gold, a warning that points to a broader pattern in remote rural areas where informal mining and treasure hunting persist despite obvious hazards. In flood-prone terrain, weak safety systems and limited oversight can turn a risky side search into a mass rescue, with families left waiting and health risks mounting by the hour.