A 31-year-old speleologist was extracted from a cave in Sardinia on Saturday evening after being trapped for more than 26 hours by a rockfall that collapsed while he was exploring underground.
Luca Olmetto, from Codrongianos in Sardinia, became trapped in the Gorropeddu cave near Urzulei in the Ogliastra region when a supporting wall gave way during an exploration with his girlfriend on Sunday. The collapse buried him under debris and immobilized him in a tunnel approximately 10 meters below the surface.
Rescue teams made voice contact with Olmetto beyond the debris blocking the tunnel entrance, confirming he remained conscious throughout his ordeal. Authorities said he had sustained trauma and wounds but was alert when reached by rescuers.
The extraction operation involved approximately 80 personnel, including 30 units from the National Fire Corps, members of Sardinia's alpine and speleological rescue services, and specialized Urban Search and Rescue teams. Rescuers manually excavated through rubble to access the tunnel where Olmetto was trapped, working through the night to reach him.
The operation was described as highly complex and delicate. Rescue officials said the unstable conditions within the cave and the risk of additional collapses required careful execution of each step. The debris field that immobilized Olmetto had to be removed with extreme caution to avoid triggering further cave-ins.
Rescue operations concluded around 5:50 p.m. on Saturday. After extraction, Olmetto was transported by helicopter to a hospital for medical evaluation. No further details about his condition were provided by authorities at the time of the rescue.