Potholers safe after 30 hours trapped in caves

Mar 17 2008 by Lisa Jones, South Wales Echo

A SOUTH Wales potholer was rescued after spending more than 30 hours in a flooded underground cave complex.

Joel Corrigan, from Cardiff, was one of a pair of experienced cavers led to safety last night from Dan-yr-Ogof Caves, in the Swansea Valley, after becoming trapped by floodwater on Saturday afternoon.

Ashford Price, chairman of the National Showcaves of Wales complex, said they were lucky to have been rescued.

“They were very relieved to get back into reality, and have been very fortunate,” he said.

“Had it rained again, the men may still have been in there.

“They have both been fed and watered and are on their way back home.

“I think it came as a bit of a wake-up call, and now the men are in need of a good night’s rest.”

Mr Corrigan and Richard Frost of Crynant, near Neath, both 35, were exploring a new passageway in the cave complex.

Security staff raised the alarm when the pair failed to emerge at the expected time of 10pm.

Torrential rain flooded into the cave complex, trapping the men and forcing them to seek refuge in a dry area around two miles from the end of the visitor attraction.

They called the surface from an emergency phone and were able to use its store of emergency supplies.

South Wales suffered heavy rain all weekend, with more than 31mms falling in 24 hours at nearby Sennybridge, in the Brecon Beacons, according to the Met Office.

Divers from a 15-strong rescue team who entered the caves yesterday morning were forced back without making contact with the pair, because of the high water levels.

The caves run for 10 miles beneath the Beacons and there are also 10 “missing” miles of caves which have not yet been charted.

lisa.jones@mediawales.co.uk