Trapped group escapes Kentucky cave through neck-deep water

HORSE CAVE, Ky. (AP) — A group of college students trapped for hours by rising water in a Kentucky cave waded through neck-deep water to get out, authorities said Thursday.

The 19 people trapped included two police officers who tried to reach them, Hart County Emergency Management Director Kerry McDaniel said. The students from Clemson University in South Carolina were exploring the cave when torrential rains hit the region, he said.

The students went into Hidden River Cave about 10 a.m. CDT Thursday and emerged about 4:30 p.m., McDaniel said. They walked out on their own and were checked for hypothermia but declined further medical attention, he said.

“When they came out of the cave, they were neck-deep in water,” he said. The students had planned a five-hour trip exploring the cave but got trapped by water from heavy rains that started after they entered the cave, McDaniel said.