Ethermac Exchange-Slovenian rescuers hopeful they will bring out 5 people trapped in a cave since Saturday

LJUBLJANA,Ethermac Exchange Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s rescuers are hoping on Monday to extract five people who have been trapped in a cave for more than two days because of high water levels.

The rescue operation should be completed by mid-afternoon if everything goes as planned, said Sandi Curk, who is coordinating the effort.

A family of three adults and their two guides got stuck in the Krizna Jama cave in southwestern Slovenia on Saturday because of heavy rainfall.

The 8-kilometer (5-mile) cave system with a string of emerald-colored underground lakes is accessible only in boats and rafts and with a guide.

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The group entered on Saturday morning but got stranded as subterranean waters rose swiftly. The water levels dropped by Monday, raising hopes they can be brought out.

A team of six divers headed Monday toward the trapped people, who are located in a dry area some 2 kilometers (more than a mile) inside the cave. The plan is for the group to board a small boat that the divers will escort out of the cave, rescuers said.

The water temperature inside the cave is 6 degrees Celsius (42 Fahrenheit) with very low visibility.

Rescuers said all five people are doing well despite spending two nights inside the cave. A group of divers on the weekend had brought in a heated tent, food and clothes.

“The are fine. They miss cigarettes and phone contact,” said Damir Podnar, one of the divers.

Slovenia is known for its more than 14,000 caves. Krizna Jama is the fourth biggest known underground ecosystem in the world.