Two days after a
tour group went missing while caving in Slovenia, rescue responders were successfully
saved five people who were trapped inside Križna Jama (or “Cross Cave”).
Two guides and
three tourists had entered the popular site in southern Slovenia on Saturday
morning. Their expedition having followed a period of heavy rain, they soon
found themselves in dire straits, unable to make it back out.
After a third
guide went in search of the party, but was unable to locate them, the Slovenian
Cave Rescue Service (CRS) was called in to conduct the search and rescue.
The affiliated European
Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) initially sent divers into the cave on Sunday,
at which time they were able to establish contact with the trapped group, but perilously
high water levels obstructed two safe escape routes, preventing an immediate
evacuation.
In a fortunate
turn of events, the ECRA reported Monday morning that the water level within Cross
Cave had subsided. This favorable development enabled rescuers to maneuver
their own boats within the cave, setting the stage for the successful retrieval
of the trapped individuals.
In a Facebook post
made Monday morning, the ECRA confirmed that the whole group had been
successfully evacuated and called the rescue retrieval an “excellent operation”.
The tour group in question had been roughly 1.3 miles deep within the cave system
from its outer entrance.
According to CNN
Travel, the watery Cross Cave, located beneath Cross Mountain, is among the
Central European country’s best-known tourist destinations. As it is filled
with underground lakes and waterways, part of each guided visit to the cave
includes a boat tour, which can take guests to see anywhere from one to 13
subterranean lakes.
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