Fisherman Rescued in Mexico After Spending 15 Days in an Underwater Cave Without Food
31-year-old Erasto Crisanto Valdez survived after getting lost in an underwater cave at a depth of over 100 meters. For more than two weeks he was in complete darkness, without food and unable to tell if it was day or night, Bild reports .
On July 23, Valdez went fishing with his father and dived into a cenote — a water-filled karst cave connected to an underground system. While spearfishing, he swam too far and lost his orientation.
Inside the cave, the fisherman found an air pocket where he could breathe. He drank water from an underground river.
The search continued for 15 days. Six days before the rescue, rescuers found his speargun at a depth of about 65 meters, but the man himself was not nearby. An international team from Mexico, Germany, the USA, and the Dominican Republic joined the search operation.
Finally, an American diver specializing in cave exploration found a dry cavity. He shouted and heard Valdez's reply. This way, rescuers were able to find the fisherman and bring him to the surface.
The man was severely exhausted and was admitted to the hospital after his rescue. According to medics, his life is no longer in danger.
Valdez later recounted that he thought he had only been in the cave for about three days during that entire time.