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Doctors near injured caver

June 11, 2014

Doctors are nearing a man who has been trapped 1,000 meters underground in Germany's Riesending cave system since the weekend. The tricky terrain and the man's injuries will prove a challenge for rescuers.

https://p.dw.com/p/1CGxX
Rettungseinsatz für Höhlenforscher
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

The trapped explorer, researcher Johann Westhauser, was injured in a rockslide early Sunday morning in the Riesending - Germany's biggest cave and located near Berchtesgarden in southern Bavaria, on the Austrian border.

It was initially believed the 52-year-old's bleeding head injury meant he could only be brought out of the cave lying down. However, he has been able to stand for short periods, and has remained lucid.

Two doctors are nearing Westhauser and their examinations of him will determine how he can leave the cave, which can only be accessed via a steep shaft.

Westhauser was with two companions when the rockslide struck, although they escaped injury. A team of experts reached him on Monday.

Rescue official Robert Nagel said it could take up to six days to bring Westhauser to the surface.

Infografik Rettung aus der Riesending-Schachthöhle Englisch

The Riesending boasts a 19.2-kilometer (11.9 miles) network of paths that extend nearly 1,150 meters (0.71 miles) below ground. It is considered tough for cavers to navigate because of a complex system of shafts, halls, narrow squeezes and underground lakes.

jr/dr (AP, dpa)