A researcher who sustained injuries while being trapped deep within a cave in northern Italy for over three days has been successfully brought to safety.
Ottavia Piana, aged 32, was lifted to the surface secured to a stretcher around early Wednesday following 75 hours underground, concluding a rescue operation that commenced at midnight on Saturday.
She endured several fractures, including those in her face, ribs, and knee, after falling five meters (16ft) on Saturday during an excursion in an uncharted section of the Bueno Fonteno cave, located to the east of Bergamo.
Ms. Piana was in the process of creating a map of an unexplored passage within the cave, positioned approximately 500 meters below the surface.
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Rescuers executing the cave operation
The extraction through the constricted, uncharted segment of the cave proved to be particularly daunting, according to officials.
Footage revealed her being enveloped in blankets and secured to a stretcher as a team of rescuers—including doctors and nurses—maneuvered her through tight passageways.
They paused every 90 minutes to monitor her health.
By late Tuesday afternoon, the rescuers had arrived at the main tunnel.
Pic: Soccorso Alpino/AP
Rescuers within the Bueno Fonteno cave. Pic: National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps/Repertoire photos
Pic: AP
The final segment of the journey proceeded much more swiftly than projected, with the team carrying Ms. Piana reaching the surface a minimum of 12 hours earlier than anticipated.
Close to 160 specialists from 13 different Italian regions contributed to the rescue effort.
Emergency services were alerted by members of Ms. Piana’s team following her fall.
According to rescuers, she was approximately four hours from the cave’s entrance when she fell.
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Rescuers located her late Sunday and utilized small explosives in their effort to penetrate the final 100 meters to reach her.
Local news outlets have reported that Ms. Piana had to be rescued from the same cave last year after being trapped.
