This Thai Monk Who Got Trapped In A Flooded Cave While Mediating Has Been Rescued After Four Days

Phra Ajarn Manas, a 46-year-old buddhist monk in Thailand, who became trapped in a cave in Phitsanulok province for four days while meditating, has finally been rescued.

The monk makes a pilgrimage to the Tham Phra Sai Ngam cave from another province every April, and he arrived to meditate on Saturday Apr. 3.

Soon after his arrival, unseasonal heavy rain struck the area and flooded the cave.

With the entrance blocked by water, the monk became stranded and could not make it back to the village, which alerted local rescuers on Tuesday afternoon.

On the same day, rescuers tried to enter the cave to search for him but had to call off their operation due to the rising water levels. Rescuers said there was no signal in the cave, and they had no way to contact the monk.

On Wednesday morning, as the rain stopped, 17 divers relaunched the rescue operation and successfully located him, rescuing him from the cave at 11:30am, according to a post on the Phitsanulok Rescue Facebook page.

Video of the rescue shows the monk wearing a diving mask and doing a 12-meter underwater swim guided by the rescue team.

He was then led out of the cave to safety and received treatment in an ambulance.

The monk told the rescuers that he knew the water was flowing into the cave, but he could not come out without a team to help, and he was ready to give up his life.

The monk is now receiving treatment in the local hospital and will return to his temple once he is discharged.