Caver trapped 900ft underground is rescued ALIVE 'and in good spirits' after three-day mission: Badly injured man who fell 50ft and was crushed by a boulder deep under Brecon Beacons is taken to hospital after 250 people worked to free him
A seriously injured caver who was left stranded in a 900ft-deep cave system beneath the Brecon Beacons after plunging from a 50ft ledge has been rescued from the cave system.
The man in his 40s, who has been trapped since falling on Saturday, was pulled out of the caves in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu this evening by a team of rescuers at around 7.45pm this evening.
Working in 12-hour shifts, some 250 workers moved the man out of the cave system on a stretcher and according to the BBC, the man is believed to be alive and well and in good spirits.
After being lifted to the surface he was clapped and cheered by rescuers before being helped into a cave rescue Land Rover ready to be transported down to a waiting ambulance.
The operation, which has taken 57 hours and spanned three days, is the longest of its kind to be conducted in Wales, with the man originally planned to be transported to Morriston Hospital in Swansea via air ambulance, but the wet weather meant the helicopter could not land.
The man has instead been brought down from the cave entrance and was transported from the cave entrance in a Land Rover - which took him to a waiting ambulance.
Pictured: Some of the members of the rescue team are seen carrying the injured caver one a stretcher through the cave system this evening
Rescue workers operated in shifts, passing the man on the stretcher through the cave system - which is the third longest in the UK
Commenting on the condition of the rescued caver, the emergency services liaison officer Gary Evans said that the rescued man was 'doing remarkably well' considering how long he had been in the cave for
Members of the rescue team held up an orange tarpaulin to provide the man with some privacy as he was transported out of the cave
A seriously injured caver who was left stranded in a 900ft-deep cave system beneath the Brecon Beacons after plunging from a 50ft ledge has been rescued from the cave system following an operation which lasted longer than 48 hours
Working in shifts, some 250 workers (pictured) moved the man out of the cave system on a stretcher
The operation, which has taken three days, is the longest of its kind to be conducted in Wales, with the man originally planned to be transported to hospital via air ambulance, but the wet weather meant the helicopter could not land. The man has instead been brought down from the cave entrance and is being transported to hospital by car
Pictured: A group of the rescue workers are briefed on the mission ahead of entering the cave system earlier this eveningCommenting on the condition of the rescued caver, the emergency services liaison officer Gary Evans told the BBC: 'The casualty's doing remarkably well when you consider how long he's been in the cave, how long he's been in the stretcher, he's doing very well indeed.
'He's being assessed at the moment and we'll know more in a short while.'
One rescuer said: 'He is extremely lucky to have survived the fall. He was unconscious for about a minute and was in hell of a lot of pain when he came around. Two of the rescuers are accident and emergency consultants so he's in good hands. He's had loads of morphine and they have fitted a cannula to get fluids into him.'
Another said: 'He was also unconscious for some period of time and that is also very worrying because of how far he fell.
'I understand he came down with the boulder and that made things worse.'
Nearly 250 emergency responders - including the team who saved 12 young Thai footballers in 2018 - were painstakingly transporting the injured man on a stretcher through narrow caverns interspersed with gushing streams and waterfalls.
The caver - who is understood to be from Hampshire and was staying in a £9-a-night cottage near the entrance to the caves - fell on Saturday after a boulder came loose in a section of the network known as Cwm Dwr, Welsh for Water Valley.
He was left unconscious for 'some time' and suffered suspected spinal injuries, a compound fracture to his leg breaking both his fibula and tibia, broken breast bone and collar bone - as well as suffering a broken jaw, mouth injuries and lacerations to his neck.
Today rescuers - who were working 12-hour shifts to carry out the 'arduous' task, said he was 'in a bad way' and was 'lucky to still be with us'. His injuries are not life-threatening.
Another caver who was with the injured man on Saturday notified police who called in specialist rescuers that same day, but they were not able to free him. The cave system is 37 miles in length - making it Britain's third longest.
The caver - who is understood to be from Hampshire and was staying in a £9-a-night cottage near the entrance to the Ogof Ffynon Ddu caves (where rescue workers are seen gathering)
The caver was left unconcious for 'some time' and suffered suspected spinal injuries, a compound fracture to his leg breaking both his fibula and tibia, broken breast bone and collar bone. Pictured are rescue workers by the cave entrance today
A file photo of a drop naer the section in the cave system where the caver fell and was seriously injured
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