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Body of missing caver found in Poland’s Tatra Mountains

23.08.2019 10:30
The body of one of two cavers who went missing on Sunday has been found by Polish and Slovak rescuers, prompting concerns over the status of the second missing person.
Rescuers returning from the site of the Wielka Śnieżna Cave
Rescuers returning from the site of the Wielka Śnieżna Cave PAP/Grzegorz Momot

The body was found on Thursday evening, two days after the cavers’ abandoned equipment was discovered. With temperatures inside the cave as low as four degrees Celsius, rescuers have voiced fears that both cavers may now be dead.

A group of six people entered the Wielka Śnieżna Cave on Thursday. Spanning almost 24 km, this is the longest cave in the Tatra Mountains.

On Saturday evening, four people emerged and immediately notified authorities that two of their colleagues had been trapped by an unexpected flood inside the cave.

Dozens of rescuers have been working continuously since Saturday, often in extreme conditions. Many tunnels were too small for rescuers to pass through and they had to detonate explosives to widen access.

In addition, at least one group of rescuers had to be diverted on Thursday to assist people hurt by a thunderstorm elsewhere in the Tatra Mountains.

(sl/pk)

Source: PAP