- Title: MEXICO: French citizen is rescued after five-day ordeal in Mexico cave
- Date: 27th January 2008
- Summary: (W5) CUAXUXPA, PUEBLA, MEXICO (JANUARY 26, 2008) (REUTERS) NIGHTSHOTS: ENTRANCE TO CAVE WITH RESCUERS WORKING AT NIGHT MOON RESCUE WORKER EMERGES FROM CAVE RESCUE WORKERS PULL OUT FRENCH CAVER, ARTHUR MEAUXONE RESCUE WORKERS IN TENT WHERE RESCUED FRENCH CAVER, ARTHUR MEAUXONE, IS TAKEN FOR A MEDICAL CHECK-UP TENT WITH FRENCH CAVER, ARTHUR MEAUXONE, INSIDE; CURTAIN CLOSES RELATIVES OF FRENCH CAVER, ARTHUR MEAUXONE, GREETING AND THANKING RESCUE WORKERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RESCUE WORKER FROM THE UNAM (NATIONAL AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OF MEXICO), SERGIO MARTINEZ, SAYING: "We are all exhausted. The good thing is that he was rescued and is fine (the French caver) and now the medical services are taking care of him. He is stable and that's what matters."
- Embargoed: 11th February 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Mexico
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVABR07NS127FZFPZW15EOU6HPFS
- Story Text: An injured French caver was rescued from a Mexico cave complex during the early hours of Saturday (January 26) after being trapped for five-days by an underground collapse during an expedition.
The 20-year-old, Arthur Meauxone had been exploring the Cuaxuxpa cave complex in the central Mexican state of Puebla when the collapse occurred.
He was believed to be located some 300 metres underground and was unable to walk out due to a fractured knee.
A stretcher was lowered with a line into a narrow hole. Rescuers had to widen the hole, originally measuring some 45 centimetres, in order to get him out. In some cases, where the stretcher could not be used, Meauxone had to be carried.
A rescue operation led by some 30 rescue workers from the Mexican Red Cross, the state's civil protection rescue team and UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) managed to free Meauxone by 5am.
"We are all exhausted. The good thing is that he was rescued and is fine (the French caver) and now the medical services are taking care of him.
He is stable and that's what matters," said rescue worker from the UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico, Sergio Martinez.
The French caver, was wrapped up in a thermal blanket and checked by medical staff in a near-by tent before being carried away to an ambulance. He was alert, glad to be out and in a cheerful mood when he was taken away.
No immediate details over the extent of his injuries were given, but they didn't seem to be too serious or life threatening.
His father, Guy Meauxone, said that this ordeal will not deter them from returning and they will resume their exploration next year.
"We'll return next year, we'll return next year to finish exploring the cave," he told Reuters and added that cave exploring was a sport to him. "People go to Cancun to dive, this is like a sport to me, it's my sport."
Five other expedition team members - three men and two women - had been rescued by the state's civil protection rescue team on Wednesday. The group of experienced cave explorers had been trapped for two days.
They assisted the rescue workers by guiding them down to Meauxone with the use of drawn maps and made regular trips down to keep him company and provided food and water.
In 2004, six British cave explorers were trapped in a cave complex in Puebla for a week next to an underground river swollen by heavy rains. The team was eventually rescued. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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