Chinese Diver Survives Five Days Trapped in Underwater Cave in Miracle Rescue

A Chinese man in his 40s has survived an extraordinary ordeal after spending five days trapped inside an underwater cave in southern China. The diver, identified as Wang, went missing during a routine river dive on July 19 near Furong Town in Xiangxi, Hunan province.

According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Wang disappeared just minutes into his dive with a friend in a river known to reach depths of several dozen metres. About nine metres below the surface, the river leads to a complex cave system—one Wang accidentally entered and could not escape.

Once alerted, authorities launched an extensive search operation. Police enlisted the help of the Xiangxi Shuguang Rescue Team and Baise special police forces from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Initial deep dives by the cave diving team reached depths of up to 130 metres but yielded no sign of the missing diver. At one point, divers heard faint knocking sounds on rocks and asked surface teams to shut off boat engines to aid in detection. However, the sounds stopped and hope faded.

Then, at a depth of around 100 metres on their ascent, the breakthrough came.

Wang, who had taken refuge in an air pocket inside the cave, had seen divers swim past him earlier but received no response when he tried to signal by knocking on the rocks. With his oxygen reserves dwindling to just four percent, he seized his final chance—jumping into the water and flashing a light when he saw rescuers passing by again.

This led to his successful discovery and extraction.

Despite the ordeal, Wang was found to be in surprisingly good condition. He reportedly emerged from the cave and walked to the ambulance unaided.

Wang later shared that he had survived by remaining in the air pocket and eating raw fish, though he lost all sense of time. His first words to rescuers, after being pulled to safety, were a request for a cigarette.

The story has captivated people across China, with many expressing astonishment at his physical and mental resilience. Online commenters hailed it as a miracle and praised Wang’s willpower, calling his survival “superhuman.”

This extraordinary event has not only highlighted the dangers of cave diving but also the strength of human endurance in the face of near-impossible odds.