Teen Spent 6 Years Digging Underground Cave after Arguing with Parents
- When 14-year-old Andres Canto got into an argument with his parents, he needed to cool off
- He did so by digging a tunnel in their backyard and has continued to dig for the past six years
- The mancave now boasts a sitting room, bedroom, and Wi-Fi tethered from his phone
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Andres Canto was 14-years-old when his parents rejected his idea of going to the local village donned in a tracksuit.
Source: UGC
What could be seen by many as a minor argument angered Canto so much that he looked for ways to vent.
This he did by using his grandfather's axe to dig a hole in the family garden.
Weirdly, what had started as a retaliatory act became an obsession, and soon the hole grew into an underground cave.
Excavation Therapy
After six years of digging, Canto's mancave boasts of steps, a living room, and a bedroom.
Furthermore, it has a heating system, music, and Wi-Fi tethered from his smartphone.
He revealed that there was something therapeutic about digging in the evenings when he got back home from school, which turned him into a part-time excavator.
"It's great, I have everything I need. It can be tiring to work here as it is wet and there is not much air going around, but I have found my own motivation to keep on digging every day," he revealed, as reported by The Mirror.
Canto's bizarre project got a boost when his friend Andreu joined him with a pneumatic drill, and the two chiselled a 10-foot dwelling underground.
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Full-time Project
For a project that began with him pushing out the soil using buckets, Cante began researching excavation techniques and created a homemade pully to aid in taking out the rubble.
"Sometimes I came across a big stone and it could be frustrating after hours of digging that I had done almost nothing," the youngster explained.
He even learnt how to reinforce the ceilings through arched entrances and reinforced columns, ensuring that the cave did not crumble.
Canto reveals that the main challenges he faces are occasional floods during the rainy season, as well as insects, spiders and snails.
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Source: Briefly News
Maryn Blignaut (Human-Interest HOD) Maryn Blignaut is the Human Interest manager and feature writer. She holds a BA degree in Communication Science, which she obtained from the University of South Africa in 2016. She joined the Briefly - South African News team shortly after graduating and has over six years of experience in the journalism field. Maryn passed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (Google News Initiative), as well as a set of trainings for journalists by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at: maryn.blignaut@briefly.co.za
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
