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A highly experienced member of the elite diving team that helped rescue the Thai soccer team from a flooded cave last year has been pulled from a cave in the US.
Josh Bratchley, from the UK, failed to exit the Mill Pond Cave in Tennessee on Tuesday, according to the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
The other four members of his group, who had also been exploring the cave for several days, called 911 early on Wednesday, according to the EMA.
Specialised divers from Arkansas and Florida were called in to help with what officials deemed a "highly technical rescue”.
By Wednesday evening, Bratchley was brought out of the water, according to the agency.
The diver was evaluated by medical staff at the scene and he told officials he "was fine."
First responders identified an air bell in the cave with enough oxygen for at least a day, ABC13 reported.
Last year, Bratchley was one of the divers who helped rescue 12 schoolboys and their coach stranded on a ledge in a flooded cave in Chiang Rai, in northern Thailand.
The world watched as the team of international cave diving experts led the mission to retrieve the boys.
Bratchely was later recognised for his role.
The Tennessee cave is about 4.8km off the main highway and in a very rural area.
Ethan Burris of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said the group had been in the area for two to three days mapping the Mill Pond Cave.
"You have to go underwater to get into the cave," said Burris.
"The maps that we have, we're not rightly sure how deep it is right now."
The other members of the missing diver's group stayed at the scene to offer and assistance in the rescue efforts.
"They are our biggest asset as to getting us information about the cave, about how it's laid out," said Burris.