A large-scale rescue operation is under way north-east of Bergamo to free Ottavia Piana, a trapped caver.
Piana, considered an expert spelunker, fell five metres on Saturday evening while exploring an uncharted branch of the Bueno Fonteno cave with a group of eight others. She previously suffered a fall in the same cave system last year, fracturing her leg and remaining trapped for 48 hours.
Her team raised the alarm on Saturday evening, and rescuers reached Piana late on Sunday at a depth of 585 metres. Rescuers used small explosives to clear a path to her location. Rescuers described her as alert and responsive.
The operation remains delicate. A narrow tunnel approximately 100 metres long is preventing a stretcher from passing through. Efforts to widen the space are ongoing but are slow and complex due to the cave’s depth and the absence of a complete geomorphological map.
Mauro Guiducci, deputy of the national Alpine Rescue, said the stretcher and Piana’s injuries add to the challenges. “One thing is certain, these kinds of operations are very long,” he added. Piana is conscious, and her condition is improving, including “from a psychological and moral standpoint,” according to Guiducci.
Around 100 rescuers are on site, working in shifts, with no more than 20 people able to enter the tunnels at once due to space restrictions. The team is pausing periodically to monitor Piana’s condition.
A doctor assisting the trapped caver said she plans to give up caving after this incident.
The Bueno Fonteno Abyss, part of the Western Sebino karst area, is a vast labyrinth of caves and tunnels, presenting challenges even for the most experienced speleologists. Piana’s current location is not far from where she became trapped last year at a depth of 150 metres.
