TWO cavers, both aged 64, were reported overdue on a trip through Dowbergill Passage near Kettlewell on last Wednesday night.

The two men were believed to have entered via Dow Cave at 11am and the alarm was raised at 9.30pm when they failed to re-surface.

After preliminary investigations, a full team from the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association was called out at 10.20pm.

Two teams were sent in via the Dow Cave entrance and a third team via the Providence Pot entrance, the expected exit point for the missing cavers.

While the underground teams began the search, surface teams established radio locations at four separate points up on the moor to facilitate communications at key points in the cave.

It transpired the missing cavers had completed the traverse of Dowbergill Passage but had been unable to locate the exit point to Providence Pot despite searching for five hours.

The missing cavers were located by the Providence Pot team and led out of the cave at 12.40am.

A UWFRA spokesman said: "They were cold and somewhat embarrassed but otherwise unharmed after their 14-hour ordeal.

"The message that the cavers had been located was passed to the underground team at the Dow Cave end but the second team could not be contacted. They completed the through trip to Providence Pot and exited the cave at 3.30am."

All the team vehicles were back at base in Grassington by 4am.