Rescuers found Helena Christina Carroll sitting on a rock ledge inside the cave. She suffered bruising to her face and body and was taken to Ban Ta Khun Hospital.

Last night she had still not been told that her boyfriend, John Cullen, 24, died in Saturday's disaster.

The eighth tourist in the group, German Ines Gampe, 37, had decided not to go inside the cave. Her 10-year-old son, Eddy, was allowed to go inside, and died in the flood.

The eight tourists took a one-hour ride on a long-tailed boat to the cave in Khao Sok national park in Ban Ta Khun district on Saturday. They were accompanied by two local guides, Kitisak Pratum, 30, and Sahatchai Boonkongmak, 25, who were both killed.

The tourists arrived at Ton Toey pier and walked for about two hours along a three kilometer track to the cave, famous for its limestone formations.

Tourists are supposed to walk the 700 meters through the cave's main chamber, which is five to 10 meters wide, and exit on the other side.

They were still inside when a flash flood caused by three hours of heavy rain at nearby Ratchaprapha dam surged into the cave.

Ms Carroll said they had been inside for about half an hour when they saw the torrent come rushing in. They had tried to climb up the cave wall to get above it, but the water level rose quickly from 50cm to 10m, trapping them.

Ms Carroll managed to pull herself on top of a rock ledge. She saw her boyfriend swimming against the current towards her, but then he was swept away.

She had remained, terrified and hungry, on the ledge for 20 hours, she said.

Carroll and her British boyfriend were on their first visit to Thailand. The six foreign victims include four members of a Swiss family - Benno Fischer, 49, Rose-Marie Schmidt-Stalder, 47, Andrea Fischer, 17, and Sarah Fischer, 15 - plus Cullen and young Eddy.

Tourism officials were trying to find a flight for Mrs Gampe, who will take her son's body home to Germany.

Deputy Interior Minister Banyat Chansena, Tourism and Sports Minister Suvit Yodmani and staff from the British embassy flew to Surat Thani yesterday. Mr Banyat ordered the provincial office to find out if the tourists received a warning from Khao Sok national park.

National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department chief Chalermsak Wanichsombat said park officials had warned the group against entering the cave, but the guides insisted on going.

sole only survivor a person who continues to live, especially despite being nearly killed or experiencing great danger or difficulty emerging coming out of a dark, confined or hidden place trapped unable to leave a dangerous place flash flood a sudden flood of water caused by heavy rain swept through moved or pushed quickly through ledge a narrow flat piece of rock that sticks out from a wall of rock or cliff

bruising having blue, brown or purple marks on the skin after having bit hit hard accompanied by went together with pier a long low structure built in a lake, river or the sea and joined to the land at one end, used by boats to allow passengers to get on and off formations particular arrangements or patterns chamber a space under the ground that is almost completely closed on all sides exit to leave surged moved quickly and with great force in a particular direction

torrent a large amount of water moving very quickly current the movement of water in a river, sea, etc. terrified very frightened victims people who have been killed, injured or attacked as the result of an accident, crime, disease. warning a statement telling people that something bad or unpleasant may happen in the future so that they can try to avoid it insisted demanded that something happens