- (AFP) -- Six British spelunkers stuck for a week in a
vast, flooded network of caverns in southwestern Mexico, were rescued late
Thursday by a Mexican-British team, the Mexican military said.
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- "They got four out and are in the process of taking
out two more," General Manuel Diaz told reporters.
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- "I understand that they are all well."
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- Civil Defense sources confirmed to AFP that all six were
safe and had been taken from the caverns without incident.
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- The six, part of a 12-member expedition, were taken to
a hospital for observation. The other six had left the caves a week ago.
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- Their predicament had turned into a testy diplomatic
incident after Mexico insisted the Britons -- five members of the British
military and a former army major -- should have sought special permission
to be in the Cuetzalan caves.
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- But Diaz said the six "are not being held prisoner."
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- Mexican politicians called the presence of members of
a foreign military a breech of Mexico's sovereignty.
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- Britain's embassy said the men were members of the Combined
Services Caving, backed by the Royal Geological Society.
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- And Colonel Ian Blair-Pelling, military attache with
the British Embassy, said the cavers "had the approval of the British
Army, because of the use of their own time for adventure training.
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- "But it's not an order," he said. "They
are cavers. Others, like me, like sailing, or sky diving."
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- About 40 Mexican troops, five cave experts and two British
diving specialists went looking for the cavers, who got stuck on March
18 when a rainstorm flooded the huge underground complex. Six other Britons
in the expedition escaped.
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- The two divers, Richard Stanton and Jason Mollison, were
to go into the flood waters to try to reach the trapped cavers. Stanton
and Mollison come from the Cave Rescue Organization in Britain.
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- A rescue plan was devised with the Mexican military and
the Mexican experts, Stephen Whitlock, an army major who heads the expedition,
told AFP.
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- Whitlock said the trapped cave explorers had water and
food, including pasta, cookies (biscuits) and dehydrated food to eat while
in a dry area the size of a basketball court. The men are experienced cave
explorers, equipped with oxygen, sleeping bags and food.
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- Meanwhile, Britain is trying to patch up the diplomatic
row with Mexico.
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- Mexico complained that it was not informed of the presence
of the British military personnel, who entered the country on tourist visas.
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- Mexican President Vicente Fox said he had instructed
Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez to demand explanations from London
and lodge a protest.
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- Whitlock stressed, however, "this is an adventure
training to promote team spirit, physical abilities and exercises."
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- The cavers, who come from a joint military speleology
club, say they were not on a scientific mission and did not need a special
visa.
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