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The rescuers slowly and carefully make their way to the cave, covered in mud from head to toe. In the glare of their headlights, they hoist a stretcher deep underground. There is a 31-year-old cave climber who fell during an excursion in northern Italy on Sunday and injured her foot.
After more than 40 hours of complicated toil, rescuers finally reached the exit of the cave at Lake Iseo between Brescia and Bergamo on Tuesday. At 1:45 p.m., the woman saw daylight again before being flown by helicopter to a hospital.
stable condition
The complex campaign has been running since Sunday in the cave labyrinth of Bueno Fonteno in the Lombardy region, not far from Lake Garda, which is popular with tourists. She remembered the liberation of a researcher from the shaft cave of Riesending in Germany in 2014 or the rescue of twelve youth soccer players and their coaches from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018. And this time too there was a happy ending.
According to media reports, the condition of the injured woman is stable given the circumstances. In the hours before, doctors had followed the action underground regularly.
On Sunday afternoon, the woman from the nearby community of Adro entered the cave with four climbing partners. In the underground labyrinth discovered only a few years ago, the group wanted to explore a new route, as reported by the “Corriere della Sera”.
Rock protection came loose
According to initial findings, a rock barrier broke at a depth of about 150 meters, the 31-year-old fell five feet and slammed her leg hard against a rock face. Climbing further was not possible, two partners received help.
Specialized cave rescuers rushed in from different regions and began the rescue. Doctors first reached the woman for an initial check-up, after which a telephone line was laid from the surface to the scene of the accident. The woman, who is believed to be an experienced climber, was strapped tightly to a stretcher. Videos showed how only parts of her face can be seen.
Water made work difficult
The exit was more complicated than expected: Because it rained heavily on Tuesday evening and a lot of water entered the cave, the rescue had to be interrupted. Among other things, a deep shaft had to be overcome. The helpers worked their way “inch by inch”, as the Italian Mountain and Cave Rescue Service (CNSAS) tweeted.
The cave, discovered only a few years ago, is many kilometers long and partly unexplored. In some places you have to abseil deep, in other places it is difficult to get through narrow points. Videos showed the rescuers bending over on all fours as they entered the cave.
When the helicopter took off and it was clear that the woman was free, waiting friends and relatives cheered, according to a TV reporter.
A similar – but more complicated and lengthy – rescue operation took place in Bavaria in June 2014, when speleologist Johann Westhauser was finally rescued from the Riesending shaft cave almost two weeks after a rock fall. More than 700 aid workers from five countries were involved in the operation.
It took more than two weeks for 12 students and their football coach to be rescued from the suddenly flooded Tham Luang cave in Thailand in 2018. With worldwide media attention, the prisoners were brought out by special divers from Britain and Australia, as well as military divers. (SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
