Missing cave explorers located in France Deservillers, France - Rescuers on Tuesday located four French cavers trapped underground for four days in eastern France, after two of the stranded party were pulled to safety, local authorities said.
Twenty-five rescuers and about 40 firefighters backed by specialist cave rescue consultants were working to get to the men, caught underground by rising waters following heavy rainfall on Saturday. Contact with the first pair was established at 1.30pm, with emergency services extracting the two speleologists from the Baudin cave at 4.10pm. They were found in a grotto 15km from where the six men started out on Saturday at Deservillers, in France's Doubs region, bordering Switzerland. The group, aged between 29 and 45, separated into two parties on Saturday afternoon when some opted not to cross a cave compartment filled with water, according to Samuel Prost, a senior cave rescue consultant. "Ever since, this first pair have had no contact with their four other colleagues," he added. The cave explorers told Prost that their friends would have been able to huddle under survival blankets to keep warm. As well as survival clothing and equipment, the men had enough provisions to hold out for up to a week, another Speleo rescue team member had said on Monday. Fire brigade chief Andre Benkemoun said he expects weather conditions to remain favourable until Wednesday morning as the operation to release the final four men gathered pace. "As things stand, we have an idea of the scenario they are facing. We know in broad terms the sector where they can be found, (although it) is difficult to get to," he added. The six were originally due to resurface on Sunday afternoon. **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489
