Two of four surviving cavers trapped after flash floods hit one of France's deepest caverns were brought to the surface Friday.
Rescuers helped British spelunker William Stead from the cave entrance in the foothills of the Alps in mid-morning, and Karoly Tompa of Hungary was carried out just after noon.Both were placed aboard helicopters and flown to the French Alps city of Grenoble for medical treatment.
Since Monday, more than 100 rescuers have struggled to save the cavers, who were trapped Saturday when underground floods caused by heavy rains and a freak summer snowstorm washed away their ropes and other equipment.
The four were suffering from fatigue and hypothermia, rescue team leader Albert Oyhancabal said.
The remaining two survivors, both Hungarians, remained about 2,900 feet underground. Rescuers said Zsolt Nemeth, 27, and Miklos Nyerges, 29, would be brought to the surface later Friday or Saturday.
Two other spelunkers, 31-year-old Nicola Perrin of Britain and 25-year-old Istvan Torda of Hungary, were killed Wednesday deep inside the Berger cave, which descends to a depth of 3,686 feet.