Fisherman Erasto Crisanto Valdez is rescued alive after being trapped in a Mexican underwater cave for 15 days.
Mexican authorities successfully rescued fisherman Erasto Crisanto Valdez after he spent 15 days trapped in an underwater cave in San Francisco La Paz. The 31-year-old was located on August 7, more than 100 meters deep inside the cenote where he went missing while fishing with his father on July 23. The rescue operation involved a coordinated effort between the Civil Protection of the municipality, the Secretariat of Public Security, and the Secretariat of the Navy-Military of Mexico. The search operation utilized land, river, and air efforts to locate Valdez alive. Valdez reported that he survived by finding an air chamber and drinking rainwater from a spring running through the cave. He described the environment as pitch-black, noting that he spent the majority of the time swimming aimlessly to find an exit. Valdez remains under medical care at a local hospital to recover from severe dehydration. The Municipal Government of Uxpanapa announced that his health status will remain under strict reserve as specialists monitor his recovery.