Josh Bratchley, a British professional diver who helped rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach from a Thai cave in July, was himself rescued from a Tennessee cave on Wednesday.

When Edd Sorenson, a professional diver who flew in from Florida for the rescue, arrived at an air pocket of Mill Pond Cave in Jackson County, Tenn., he found Mr. Bratchley sitting down, covered head to toe in mud. He looked “like a snowman” if snowmen were made of mud, Mr. Sorenson said.

“There he was, calm as could be,” Mr. Sorenson said. “He just said: ‘Thank you, thank you. Who are you?’”

By 7 p.m., more than a day after Mr. Bratchley entered the cave with four other divers, Mr. Sorenson emerged with Mr. Bratchley, who was in good spirits and refused medical treatment. The other four divers had unsuccessfully tried to rescue Mr. Bratchley, who had become separated from a line used to guide divers through low-visibility waters. He had no food or water, but enough oxygen to survive in a fortuitously large air pocket.