I think that something may be lost in the translation...
I couldn't find any Google News on it but I did find a bunch of stories on French Google, for those of you who can read French:
French Cavers trapped (French link)Here's a
Babblefish translation of one of the stories:
Six speleologists wedged under ground by the rise of water since SaturdayIt there A 14 hours
DESERVILLERS (AFP) — Six speleologists left Saturday to explore the pit of the Boussets Levels in Deservillers (Doubs) were surprised by the rise of water and remained blocked under ground Monday, in spite of the mobilization of the helps which had not been able to locate them at the end of the afternoon.
Three rescue squads tried in vain in the night of Sunday to Monday to come into contact with these experienced speleologists, originating in the area and themselves members in the Help French spéléo.
"One should not be pessimistic but one can be legitimately worried. The more time passes and the more worrying it is because it acts of one of the largest pits of France ", declared the prefect of the Frank-comté area, Jacques Barthélémy, arrived on the spot towards 15H00 to take stock with the helps.
"They are nevertheless experienced people, they are not beginners", he underlined.
The six speleologists, old from 29 to 45 years, originating in Doubs, the Territory of Belfort and Meurthe-et-Moselle, were initially to leave ground Sunday in middle of day to Nans-under-Holy-Anne (Doubs), that is to say with eight kilometers of the place where they had started their forwarding.
"the priority is to locate these people", underlined the captain Raphaël Faivre, of the center of operation of fire and help of Doubs.
"They have hot clothing which enables them to resist moisture", of the "covers of survival" and have food "to hold one week", observed for its part Eric David, technical adviser in Spéléo French help.
"All are informed of the rules to last in situation of blocking", added Mr. David who estimates that, if they are not wounded, the speleologists are not in active danger to one period "five days to one week".
Approximately 25 men of Spéléo help of Doubs and forty sappers firemen took part at the beginning of afternoon in the operations of research, at the same time from the entry and the exit of the cave.
The plungers were not finally mobilized, water not having completely drowned the underground galleries. These last remain practicable with the stroke, ensured the helps.
The rain, fallen in abundance all the night had made the progression very difficult in the vast underground grid of Verneau, running on about thirty kilometers between Déservillers and Nans-under-Holy-Anne (Doubs).
It had calmed Monday midday and Météo France envisaged a lull for the three days to come.
According to Eric David, the fall (of subsoil waters) started at the beginning of afternoon but the relief is too disparate to evaluate time that that will take to make it possible spéléoloques to release itself.
The first-aid workers deployed under ground a network of telephone cables allowing them to communicate with surface and to leave to the wedged speleologists a means of contacting them if they can it.
At the beginning of evening, a team was to explore the entry of the pit and "to go down to the siphon, a point charged with water, halfway located gallery some 5 km length", explained the colonel of the firemen André Benkemoun. According to the quantity of water found with this "delicate passage", they will determine their future action.