NEW YORK: A man from Brooklyn narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation after becoming trapped for nearly six hours inside a narrow cave passage in the US state of New York, rescue officials said.
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The incident took place in the Merlin Cave located in the Canaan area of New York state, where the man had gone exploring with friends. According to local forest rangers, the group was visiting a section of the cave known as the “Bear Trap”, a notoriously tight and slippery passage with a stream flowing beneath it.
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Officials said the man accidentally slipped on the wet rocks and slid deeper into the narrow crevice. During the fall, his entire body became wedged tightly between rocks, leaving him unable to move or free himself.
Rescue authorities explained that although the man was only about 400 feet away from the cave entrance, the confined space and difficult terrain made the operation extremely challenging.
His friends eventually managed to exit the cave and call emergency services. Rescue teams arrived at around 9pm and began a lengthy effort to free him from the rocky passage.
According to officials, rescuers spent nearly two hours trying to shift the trapped man’s body by a few inches before using drills and hammers to widen the space around him. The operation finally succeeded around 2am when the man was safely removed from the cave.
Rescue workers said the man remained conscious throughout the ordeal and even continued joking with emergency personnel despite being trapped for several hours in a dark, bat-filled environment.
After being rescued, he received medical treatment and was examined for injuries. Authorities confirmed that, remarkably, he escaped the incident without serious harm.
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Forest rangers described the rescue as difficult due to the cave’s narrow structure and slippery conditions but praised the teamwork of rescuers and the victim’s calm attitude during the operation.
The incident has also drawn attention online, with many social media users expressing shock at the extreme conditions the man survived.