Rescuers find equipment from 2 missing cavers in Poland

WARSAW, Poland – Rescuers in southern Poland say they have come across some equipment and food belonging to the two missing spelunkers they are searching for amid rising water in a cave.

The two became trapped Saturday while exploring uncharted parts of the Wielka Sniezna cave in the Tatra mountains. The cave, Poland’s deepest and longest, has 24 kilometres (15 miles) of passages that go 800 metres (2,625 feet) underground.

Rescue chief Jan Krzysztof says Tuesday that some food, two climbing harnesses and a malfunctioning drill have been found at an entrance to a very narrow passage in the cave. Krzysztof said the missing cavers must have left the equipment behind to be able to pass through the very narrow opening in the rocks.

Rescuers are using small amounts of explosives to widen the passage in the cave.