An injured man has been rescued from a cave after spending more than two days trapped underground.
The experienced caver was brought out of the cavern in the Brecon Beacons at around 7.45pm on Monday following a 54-hour ordeal.
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.
Emergency services liaison officer Gary Evans told the BBC that the man was doing “remarkably well considering how long he has been in a cave”.
He added: “We’re absolutely delighted because it was a difficult rescue… There were so many teams involved and it’s gone so smoothly, which is a source of pride for all of us.”
Around 70 volunteers made their way down off the mountain to the rescue centre before watching as the man, who is in his 40s, was driven away to Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
Described as being an experienced caver, the man had entered the Cwm Dŵr entrance on Saturday morning and was planning to climb through to the caves to the Top Entrance before suffering a fall just before 2pm.
His injuries are said to be non-life threatening, but are believed to include a broken jaw, leg, and spinal injuries.
A huge rescue operation, involving more than 242 people, was led by the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team.
Members of the rescue agency had previously led the successful rescue of 12 young Thai footballers who became trapped for nine days in a flooded cave in 2018.
Peter Francis, a SMWCRT spokesperson, said the rescue is the longest in South Wales’ caving history.
“This is the longest rescue we’ve ever done but we’re very pleased with the progress being made,” he said.
“The caver was very unlucky here. He’s an experienced caver, a fit caver. And it was a matter of putting his foot in the wrong place.
“He wasn’t in a dangerous part of the cave, it’s just something moved from under him.”
Ogof Ffynnon Ddu was discovered in 1946 and is 300m deep at its lowest point.
The underground caverns stretch over 30 miles, making it the third longest cave in the UK.
