Caver trapped for 54 hours named as mum thanks rescuers for 'saving son's life'

9 November 2021, 23:05 | Updated: 9 November 2021, 23:35

An injured man who got trapped in a cave in the Brecon Beacons for more than two days has been named as George Linnane.

More than 250 volunteers were involved in the process of bringing him to the surface through one of the longest cave networks in the UK.

Mr Linnane is said to be doing "remarkably well" in hospital after being rescued from Ogof Ffynnon Ddu on Monday night.

According to local reports, Mr Linnane, 38, is an engineer and is an experienced caver.

His mum Sally Linnane-Hemmens, of Titchfield, Hants, is fundraising for South & Mid Wales Cave Rescue and posted online: “These guys, along with several other cave rescue teams from across the UK, saved my son’s life today.

“He had been trapped underground for 50 hours plus and is badly injured. It was the biggest cave rescue in the UK – involving 250 people.”

Read more: 'Huge relief' as injured man pulled alive from Welsh cave after being trapped for two days

Rescuers give update after man freed from cave in Wales

Mr Linnane was brought out of the cave in the Brecon Beacons around quarter to eight on Monday evening.

He'd been inside the cave, in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, since Saturday afternoon, but couldn't climb out because of his injuries.

He was clapped and cheered by rescuers as he was brought out of the cave, before being helped into a cave rescue Land Rover ready to be taken to hospital.

His injuries are said to be non-life threatening, but are believed to include a broken jaw, leg, and spinal injuries.

Speaking after the rescue, Gary Evans, the emergency services liaison officer, said: "The casualty is doing remarkably well, if you consider how long he's been in the cave, how long he's been in a stretcher - he's doing very well indeed.

"He's being assessed at the moment and we'll know more in a short while."

Asked how he felt about the success of the operation, Mr Evans added: "We're absolutely delighted, we're delighted because it was a difficult rescue and we're delighted because the casualty has done really well considering what's happened."

Speaking after the man was above ground, rescuer Steve Thomas said it was "fabulous" to be part of the historic moment.

"I'm feeling great - very very tired, very relieved and just more than anything happy," he told LBC's reporter Daniel Bevan.

"The moment we brought him out, it was just great. We always knew we would, it was just nice to of done it."

He praised the "huge collective effort", and said it was a "relief" to have rescued the man safely.

This story is being updated