A rescue team announced that they successfully retrieved an injured Italian caver who had been trapped underground for four days—marking the second time the woman has been carried out of the same cave.
Ottavia Piana, 32, was extracted from the cave in northern Italy during the early hours of this morning, as reported by the Alpine rescue service.
She sustained injuries to her back and ribs, along with suspected fractures in her facial bones and knee after falling approximately 8 meters in the Abisso Bueno Fonteno cave system on Saturday.
In total, 159 rescuers “from 13 Italian regions” were deployed to assist in retrieving Ms. Piana from the cave, according to the rescue team.
Rescuers noted that she was conscious but fatigued and clearly in pain when lifted to the surface after being trapped about 4 kilometers from the cave entrance.
Federico Catania, a member of the cave and mountain rescue group CNSAS, stated that the operation concluded more swiftly than anticipated, aided by specialized teams that utilized small explosive charges to clear blockages.
“The speleologist also played her part, showcasing remarkable resilience. In the past, we frequently paused for medical breaks to allow her to rest, but in the final hours, she managed to persevere,” he shared with RTL 102.5 radio.
Ms. Piana was airlifted to a hospital in the northern town of Bergamo.
The extraction took four days because the crevice she fell into was too narrow for a stretcher.
Among the rescuers were six doctors and eight nurses, including Dr. Leonardo Sattin, who had previously assisted in rescuing Ms. Piana from the same cave a year and a half ago when she fractured her leg.
“Doctor, we know each other,” Ms. Piana remarked to Dr. Sattin, as reported by the Corriere della Sera daily.
One rescuer mentioned that they had shown Ms. Piana “messages from her friends” to boost her morale during the ordeal.
An experienced speleologist, Ms. Piana faced a similar incident in July 2023 when she was trapped in the same cave system for around 40 hours following another accident.
The fact that she has required a second rescue in under 18 months has drawn some criticism in Italy; however, Mr. Catania declined to label Ms. Piana as reckless, asserting that she possessed the necessary equipment and expertise to explore the caves again.
“We can certainly evaluate when behavior is inexperienced, but that does not apply in this case,” he stated.
“I can say that this was an unfortunate situation.”
