THREE cavers were rescued after getting marooned underground in the Yorkshire Dales.

The men, aged 59, 52 and 32, were reported overdue on a trip down OBJ Hole into Gaping Gill, on the slopes of Ingleborough.

Search parties from the Clapham-based cave rescue organisation were called out after midnight today (Sunday).

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They found the cave only partially rigged, with no indication  of the trio’s whereabouts.

A team spokesperson said: “Further searches of Bar Pot eventually established contact with the overdue cavers who had self-marooned at the Flood Entrance Pot side of the Horrocks Stearn crawl.

“They had pulled their ropes down and then failed to negotiate the connecting crawl, preventing their intended exit via Stile Pot.”

The cavers were escorted out to the surface via Wades Entrance and taken to Clapham.