Wang, a diver from Furong Town, Xiangxi, Hunan province, survived an astonishing five days in an underwater cave, Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported. On July 19, he vanished five minutes into a river dive, where a complex cave system lies nine meters (29.5 feet) below the surface of a river several dozen meters deep.
Video: Wang's rescue / Xiaoxiang Morning Herald
Police swiftly organized a search, involving the Xiangxi Shuguang Rescue Team and special police forces from Baise, Guangxi. Baise's cave divers conducted two deep dives, initially finding no trace of Wang. During the second dive, they heard knocking on rocks and signaled the surface team to stop boat engines, but the sound did not persist.
Reaching 130 meters (426.5 feet), the divers found no signs of Wang. On their ascent, near 100 meters (328 feet), they spotted him. Tian Yanglin, captain of the rescue team, told Xiaoxiang Morning Herald that Wang knocked on rocks as divers approached, receiving no response. He saw them pass deeper into the cave. With oxygen at four percent, Wang jumped from an air pocket, waving a charged flashlight to signal his rescuers. "That moment was his last chance," Tian said, per Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
Wang endured by sheltering in an air pocket, sustaining himself on raw fish and losing all sense of time. Remarkably, he walked to the ambulance without aid, asking rescuers, "Do you have a cigarette?" according to Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
Online reactions highlighted Wang's resilience. One user said, "Nine meters underwater, pitch black, survived for five days. Unbelievable. A true miracle. His mind did not collapse. What incredible willpower!" Another commented, "To survive five days and still be in good condition, he is not just lucky, he is superhuman." A third asked, "It must have been pitch black in that cave. I am really wondering, how did he manage to catch fish?"
