A caver in his 40s has been rescued from a 900ft-deep cave system in Wales after a 57-hour operation involving 250 rescuers. George Linnane, from Hampshire, was pulled out of Ogof Ffynnon Ddu at 7.45pm on Monday, having suffered a broken leg and jaw after falling on Saturday.
The rescue, the longest of its kind in Wales, required teams working 12-hour shifts to manoeuvre him on a stretcher through narrow passages, streams, and waterfalls. The cave system, Britain's third longest at 37 miles, presented a challenging route as the injured man could not be taken out through the nearest entrance due to his injuries.
Rescuers, including some who helped save 12 Thai footballers in 2018, used a floating stretcher to move Linnane along an active stream way. He fell after a boulder came loose in a section known as Cwm Dwr, causing him to fall approximately 50ft before the boulder landed on top of him, knocking him unconscious.
Linnane suffered suspected spinal injuries, a compound fracture to his leg, broken breast bone and collar bone, as well as a broken jaw and lacerations to his neck. Despite the severity of his injuries, they are not considered life-threatening.
After being lifted to the surface, he was clapped and cheered by rescuers before being transported by Land Rover to a waiting ambulance. Julian Carter, warden of the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team, said the focus was on keeping him warm and avoiding hypothermia, describing the care as 'excellent'.
