The 14 Most Daring Cave Rescues in History

Imagine propelling down an endless dark hole, squeezing through the tight crevices of the depths below the surface. With nothing but a headlamp for light and the small pack on your back, you become lost or stuck inside a cave, a place not meant for humans.

Cave rescuers are highly specialized individuals with the unique skill set to free those trapped inside dangerous caves. The job is difficult, demanding, and not always rewarding. While we wish we could say everyone on this list was found safe, many people who become trapped inside caves don’t make it out. Regardless of the outcome, cave rescuers risk their lives to save those lost in the dark recesses of the Earth. Check out 14 of the most daring cave rescues in history and learn about their conclusions.

Floyd Collins – Sand Cave – 1925

Cave explorer, William Floyd Collins, spent much of his career exploring the interconnected caves of Kentucky, part of which are now Mammoth Cave National Park. On January 30, 1925, Collins became trapped in a small passage inside Sand Cave when he was attempting to enlarge the passageway. Rescuers were able to bring the man food and water for four days as they devised a plan to free him. But a rock collapse sealed the entrance, stranding him inside. He survived for an additional 10 days and communicated with rescuers through the rocks. Eventually, volunteers dug a rescue shaft to reach him, but it was too late. Collins was buried to his shoulders and had died from exposure, thirst, and hunger.

Marcel Loubins – Gouffre de la Pierre-Saint-Martin – 1952

Marcel Loubins was with a team exploring Gouffre de la Pierre-Saint-Martin in the French Pyrenees in the summer of 1952. While descending the entrance shaft, Loubins’ harness broke and he plunged more than 1,100 feet. His friends and teammates attempted to give him a blood transfusion and haul him to the surface, but he died 36 hours into the rescue attempt. A recovery team was not able to get his body out of the cave for another two years.

James G. Mitchell – Schroeder’s Pants Cave – 1965

While exploring Schroeder’s Pants Cave in Manheim, New York in 1965, James G. Mitchell became stranded on a rope in a large pit near a freezing waterfall. Mitchell died from hypothermia but there were many daring attempts to recover his body. After many ventures and failures, the cave was blasted shut, sealing the remains inside. Incredibly, 40 years later, a group returned to the cave and recovered Mitchell’s remains.

Six Cavers – Mossdale Caverns – 1967

While exploring the Mossdale Caverns in North Yorkshire in 1967, a group of six became trapped after a flash flood filled the cave. There was a major rescue mission that eventually reached the group, but everyone had died in the flood. Their remains were retrieved four years later.

Eight Spelunkers – Kentucky Cave – 1983

Eight amateur spelunkers became trapped in a Kentucky cave in 1983. The group was effectively sealed inside the cave after a storm raised water levels inside. With some quick thinking, the group left a note “HELP” in a box that floated down the stream. Rescuers located the box and found the group safe and alive on a dry ledge. This is one of the lucky few cave rescues that ended triumphantly.

Emily Davis Mobley – Lechuguilla Cave – 1991

The cave rescue of Emily Davis Mobley in 1991 was the deepest and most remote cave rescue in American history. About two miles inside the Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad Caverns, Mobley had a mishap and broke her leg. About 200 people worked to bring her out of the deep cave and eventually succeeded. Apart from a broken leg and shaken nerves, Mobley was safe and well. This story is an example of one of the most daring cave rescues in history that was successful.

Gustavo Badillo – Venezuelan Air Pocket – 1992

Gustavo Badillo was a diving instructor exploring a subterranean lake in Venezuela. When he became trapped in an underground air pocket, Badillo’s faithful diving partner quickly got help. It took 36 hours for rescue divers to locate Badillo and bring him back safely.

Gerald Moni – McBrides Cave – 1997

Gerald Moni and his cave exploring group were caught in a flash flood as they attempted to descend the cave’s lower entrance. Moni mistakenly grabbed only one of the ropes needed to descend a pit and fell to a ledge, breaking his femur. Part of the group was able to get out and get help. Rescue teams risked drowning to save Moni, who had been exposed to freezing temperatures for more than 12 hours. The team resurfaced safely with Moni in tow 18 hours after the fall.

Alpazat Cave Rescue – 2004

In 2004, a group of six British soldiers became trapped in the Alpazat Caverns in Mexico. Floodwaters sealed them inside the cave for more than a week. Political tension between the group and the Mexican government led to compatriots flying in to rescue the six. The group was rescued nine days later by the British Cave Rescue Organisation. The victims were unscathed.

John Edward Jones – Nutty Putty Cave – 2009

The tragic story of John Edward Jones is not an easy one to learn. Jones was an inexperienced caver who explored Nutty Putty Cave in Utah in November 2009. While exploring an unmapped area of the cave, Jones became wedged in a tight space at a downward angle, with his feet above his head. Rescuers attempted to lift him out and got him about 2 feet upward before the rope system failed, and he plunged back down. Unfortunately, Jones died shortly after, and his body was permanently sealed in the cave.

Finnish Cave Divers – Jordbrugrotta – 2014

In 2014, two Finnish divers perished while attempting to explore Jordbrugrotta, a cave in Norway. An international team of cave divers was summoned to recover the bodies, but they deemed it too difficult and unsafe. While a diving ban was placed on the cave, two other Finnish divers illegally went in to retrieve the bodies and succeeded.

Riesending Cave Rescue – 2014

Johann Westhauser, a speleologist, descended into the Riesending Cave in Germany with two colleagues. 3,700 feet below the surface, Westhauser was hit in the head by a falling boulder and suffered a traumatic brain injury. It took 700 people and 11 days to rescue the group safely. The total cost of the expedition was more than one million dollars and it left behind over one ton of garbage, which took six years to retrieve.

Tham Luang Cave Rescue – 2018

The Moo Pa soccer team, consisting of one coach and 11 boys aged 11 to 17, became trapped inside the Tham Luang Nang Cave near Thailand in 2018. The team entered the cave to explore and got stuck after heavy rainfall blocked their way out. Their disappearance garnered international attention and a large operation was conducted to rescue the party. It took more than a week before rescuers were able to locate the group and get them out safely. They were found on an elevated rock about 2.5 miles from the cave entrance.

Mark Dickey – Morca Cave – 2023

The latest daring cave rescue occurred in September 2023, when Mark Dickey, an instructor with the U.S. National Cave Rescue Commission, became seriously ill and trapped deep within Turkey’s Morca Cave. It took nearly 200 people from eight countries to rescue Dickey nine days after descending into the cave. He was alive and transferred to a hospital.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © via Wikimedia Commons / Original