An Italian speleologist was exploring a cave when it collapsed, trapping him inside... forcing him to hold out for nearly 27 hours for rescue.
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31-year-old Luca Olmetto and his girlfriend were probing the Gorropeddu cave on the Italian island of Sardinia on the afternoon of Oct. 11 when the collapse occurred, according to The New York Post.
The cave's entrance was completely blocked by the collapse, trapping Olmetto inside. However, his partner, trailing behind, managed to free herself to get help.
From there, a massive team assembled to free the man from the cave, located in the province of Nuoro. Rescue efforts, which included 48 members of Sardinia's Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps and 30 firefighters, stretched out over the evening and into the following night.
According to Italian outlet Il Giornale d'Italia, rescue efforts were forced to move slowly, with responders moving the cave's debris by hand only. The rescuers worried other methods might cause another rockslide, making matters worse.
Olmetto was reportedly tapped over 32 feet deep into the cave. Adding to the nightmare fuel, he was conscious and alert during the entire 27-hour-long ordeal. Rescuers finally managed to reach him at around 6 pm on Oct. 12.
Rescuers Impressed With Man Trapped in Cave for 27 Hours: "He Encouraged Us"
Meanwhile, officials were impressed with Olmetto's mental and physical fortitude.
Salvatore Corrao, commander of the Nuoro fire department, gushed over the speleologist to Sardinia's newspaper, L'Unione Sarda. "He held on until the end," Corrao marveled. Manuela Mulargia of the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps echoed the sentiments with, "He was great. He encouraged us."
According to the paper, Olmetto was flown to the nearest hospital and placed under observation.
"The patient is under strict clinical monitoring in intensive care," a statement released by the Barbagia Local Health Authority reads, per The Post. "He has no fractures, but he has sustained severe blunt trauma, a crushing injury, to a lower limb."
Olmetto's tiny hometown, Codrongianos, also celebrated his rescue
on Facebook."After hours of great anxiety, the news that the entire Codrongianos was waiting for has finally arrived... Luca is out of the cave! Our fellow citizen, after being assisted in a tent, serene and calm, is now on board the ambulance," the town of 1,300's post read.
"It has been a difficult hour, during which the entire community has been on edge following the rescue operations."
Here's hoping Olmetto makes a full recovery and is back to exploring caves soon.
