KEY POINTS:
A group of North Shore students were dramatically rescued from a cave in Northland last night after they became trapped during heavy rain.
The six Northcote College teenagers and an adult instructor had to swim underwater for 2m in total darkness to get out.
The group, part of a Project K team, had been camping at Waipu Caves, about 40km southeast of Whangarei, and had been underground in a cave known as "2 tome" since mid morning.
Another group with one instructor had left the caves about 3pm. The instructor of that group realised the water was rising fast and blocking the entrance and raised the alarm.
Search and rescue chief Senior Sergeant Cliff Metcalfe said the rescue went smoothly but was a long, slow process because the party had to be rescued one by one.
Each person had to be face down in the water, holding a guide rope, and swim underwater for 2m before getting to the entrance. All seven were admitted to Whangarei Hospital with mild hypothermia.
They were members of a larger group trapped and semi-submerged in the underground stream near the main entrance to the Waipu Caves network.
Police search and rescue staff and fire appliances with pumping and lighting equipment went to the caves about 4.30pm.
A helicopter and ambulance were on standby throughout the rescue.
The situation became critical around 7.50pm when a fire appliance that had been pumping the water from the cave entrance began to struggle to keep the level down.
About 60 police, rescue and Fire Service personnel were involved.
Project K is a 14-month programme, which includes team-building, confidence-boosting and health and life skills.
Spokeswoman Jo-anne Wilkinson said the group, aged 14 and 15, were on the wilderness adventure component of the project, which involves 10 days at a camp in preparation for a 10-day journey that can include kayaking, abseiling, tramping, mountain biking and camping.
"They're out there in the wop-wops, seeing what they are capable of."
Project K is run in participating schools and delivered through licensees (local trusts) throughout the country.
