Incredible footage has shown the moment cave explorers chipped out a hole big enough to fit a person through— revealing an entire new breathtaking cave system.
An eye-watering video shows freelance photographer and professional caver Stewart Donn, 54, originally of Gloucester, creating an opening in the ground for his friend, Patrick Fitzgerald, to squeeze through.
In the video, Mr Donn maneuvers himself through tiny cracks in the underground cavern, which exists in South Australia’s Mount Gambier region.
Mr Donn often carries a camera to document his underground adventures, with him and his wife both long-time avid cavers.
Shocking footage shows a group of friends exploring a new cave in Mount Gambier after they created a tiny gap in the earth big enough to squeeze through
He admits the thrill of entering into unknown territory and seeking out undiscovered treasures are what drives his passion.
‘The exploration, the hope of finding new tunnels and territory that no one else in the world has ever seen is a big draw card,’ he said.
‘This doesn’t happen very often as finding new cave in your back yard is hard to do and takes perseverance, you generally have to go farther afield to find this.
‘It’s the joy and excitement of being in an alien environment, weightless and moving through a three dimensional landscape that excites.’
Mr Donn stresses the importance of having trusted ‘buddies’ accompanying him throughout his underground explorations, as they could make all the different in a life or death situation.
In the video, group members maneuver themselves through tiny gaps in the earth as they explore the new cave system
Stewart Donn, 54, originally of Gloucester, created an opening in the ground for his friend, Patrick Fitzgerald, to squeeze through
Mr Donn often carries a camera to document his underground adventures, with him and his wife both long-time avid cavers
‘You need to rely on your mates and diving buddies for back up in unforeseen circumstances which builds strong friendships.’
‘Spending time with your mates on a weekend with similar goals and reliance is also very much a part of the enjoyment. There’s no place for ego’s and bulls**t.’
The adventure seeker also enjoys quality time spent under water, naming scuba diving as another major hobby of his.
But he’s currently on a mission to uncover more new caves in the area, saying recent land movement and wet weather had opened the door to previously unreachable wonders.
Mr Donn is no strangely to things going a bit pear shaped during an expedition and says there is no better learning tool than trial and error.
Mr Donn admits the thrill of entering into unknown territory and seeking out undiscovered treasures are what drives his passion
‘You need to rely on your mates and diving buddies for back up in unforeseen circumstances which builds strong friendships’ Mr Donn says
‘We all get those moments when the heart rate can get up a bit and things get interesting but your training kicks in and you stay calm and figure it out.’
‘The trick is to slowly raise your experience and awareness of situations so you spot problems before they happen and prevent them. If in doubt, end the dive and return to the surface.’
With safety remaining the key priority in all cave explorations, Mr Donn says having a set of guidelines was key in getting a group out of a sticky situation.
‘A standing rule in cave diving is that any diver can call any dive at any time without recrimination or explanation.
‘When you’re returning along a tunnel that was clear when you went in but is now silted out on the return journey and the line that you are following appears to go into solid rock, that can get the heart rate up.
‘But if you’re not out of your comfort zone, you’re just on holiday, you’re not having an adventure.’
With safety remaining the key priority in all cave explorations, Mr Donn says having a set of guidelines was key in getting a group out of a sticky situation
He says caving is designed to be a challenge: ‘if you’re not out of your comfort zone, you’re just on holiday, you’re not having an adventure,’ he says