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5 Men Trapped in 'Cyclops Cave'

Virginia officials are planning a rescue
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 28, 2019 3:00 PM CDT

Authorities say five men have been trapped in a cave in southwest Virginia after heavy rains drenched the area, the AP reports. Emergency management officials say six men entered Cyclops Cave near Cleveland and had planned to camp overnight Saturday until conditions worsened because of the rains, which also made it difficult for them to get out. A 22-year-old man managed to get out about 2am Sunday and reported that the others were exhausted and suffering from hypothermia.

Virginia Department of Emergency Management search-and-rescue coordinator Billy Chrimes says state and local crews were working Sunday to plan and execute rescue efforts. Chrimes also says the men aren't too deep into the cave but are running low on food and water, per CNN. The men are between 34 and 59 years of age, but the one who escaped is 22, an official says. The cave temperature is in the 50s, per Chrimes—not uncomfortable under normal conditions, but capable of inducing hypothermia in people who aren't moving.

(More caves stories.)

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