(CNN) — Five men exploring a cave in southwest Virginia have become trapped inside, and authorities are working to get them out safely, according to Billy Chrimes, search and rescue coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
Six men entered the cave on Friday at around 7 p.m. and planned to spend an extended amount of time exploring it, he said.
One of those men emerged from the cave Sunday morning around 2 a.m. — and told authorities that the others were having difficulty getting out, Chrimes said Sunday.
The man who escaped said that the other men were exhausted and were starting to have problems with hypothermia, according to Chrimes. The men are not lost and aren’t too far into the cave.
Chrimes said that the rescue effort will likely take a considerable amount of time because of the small size of the cave. In addition, rescue teams will have to get inside, assess the situation and report back because cell phones and radios don’t work inside the cave.
An extensive network of cave rescue teams have responded, with additional teams across the East Coast that have been put in standby in case additional assistance is required, Chrimes said.
“With cave rescue incidents this has the potential to extend to eight, to 12 hours, depending on what all is involved with getting the subjects out, and it may even extend beyond that just depending on the circumstances,” Chrimes said.
“Certainly we’re hoping for the best and that we can get them warmed up, get them moving, get them some energy back and get them out under their own power, but we’re still waiting to see what that situation will entail.”
Tony Smith, who owns a cattle ranch next to the caves, told CNN affiliate WJHL there are five big caves stretching for around nine miles below ground.
