Brecon Beacons cave rescue: Injured man thanks rescue team for saving his life

A man who was trapped in a cave at the Brecon Beacons for more than 50 hours has thanked the team that “saved his life.”

George Linnane, 38, from Bristol, fell “a considerable distance” while caving in the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave system near Ystradgynlais at the beginning of November. 

A rescue operation, led by the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue, involved 250 people from cave rescue teams across the UK.

The rescue mission was said to be the longest rescue in South Wales caving history, taking 53-hours to bring Linnane, an experienced caver, to safety.

Breaking his leg, jaw and collarbone following his 50ft fall, Linnane spent over a fortnight in hospital where he received surgery for his injuries. 

Although not well enough to travel, Linnane is on the road to recovery and reunited with many of his saviours via a video call. 

He addressed a crowd of more than 80 cavers as they met at the South & Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team headquarters close to where the accident happened.

In Linnane’s very own words, he told them: “Thanks for saving my life”. 

The teams had got together to review the rescue mission, where leaders discussed the highs and lows of the successful operation.

A spokesman for the team said: "Today's practice involved a review of our recent major incident and a live chat with our casualty, followed by a round of workshops on skills and equipment including stretcher loading, bolting and underground communications."

The rescue team also thanked all who attended the review training day.