19 Spelunkers Escape From Flooded Kentucky Cave

LOUISVILLE, Ky (Reuters) - Nearly two dozen spelunkers safely made their way out of a Kentucky cave where they had been trapped on Thursday due to flooding, police said.

Kentucky State Police said 19 Clemson University students and four tour guides entered the Hidden River Cave around 10 a.m. in the small city of Horse Cave, some 80 miles south of Louisville.

About four hours later, a severe thunderstorm caused the water level in the cave to rise, and all 23 people were stranded in a portion of the cave dubbed "the attic" for its higher ceiling, police said.

Police said around 3 p.m. the group decided to make their way out of the cave, and the tour guides were able to lead everyone to safety within an hour and a half. No one was hurt, police said.

Hart County Emergency Management Agency Director Kerry McDaniel told local television station WAVE that the group ventured as many as 4 miles (6.4 km) into the cave, but they were accompanied by experienced guides and had action plans in case of rising waters.

The National Weather Service said Doppler radar indicated heavy rain in the area due to thunderstorms. The service issued flood advisories for parts of the county and singled out Horse Cave as a place that would experience flooding.