Fisherman Erasto Valdez rescued alive after 15 days missing in Veracruz-Oaxaca cenote

Erasto Crisanto Valdez, a 31‑year‑old fisherman from Uxpanapa, Veracruz, disappeared on 23 July while fishing with his father in a cenote known as La Nigua (La Cueva) in the community of San Francisco La Paz, Santa María Chimalapa, Oaxaca, near the Veracruz‑Oaxaca border.

A multi‑day search involving family members, local residents, the Mexican Navy, and specialized divers—including two German divers—was repeatedly halted by bad weather and difficult access. On 7 August, divers located Valdez alive inside a dry cavity more than 100 metres from the point where he was last seen. He survived by being in an air‑filled space, though he suffered severe dehydration. He was stabilized and transferred to a hospital in Uxpanapa for treatment.