By the time the men were found in the early hours of Friday, rising water levels meant the simplest way out was impassable, forcing the rescuers and the cavers to retrace their steps.
Rescue team leader Derek Hammond described how if they had reached the men just an hour or two earlier, they all could have been home “in time for breakfast”.
“Unfortunately the weather had a different plan for us,” he said.
“The immediate danger is the water and, potentially in certain parts of the cave, drowning.
“Had the water level risen in those places, it would have been exceedingly dangerous.”