The 32-year-old speleologist, Ottavia Piana, victim of an accident in the Bueno Fonteno Abyss, was brought out into the open at 02:59 this morning. She suffered trauma to the vertebrae, fractured ribs, injuries to the facial bones and a fractured knee. After being stabilized, she was transported by helicopter to the hospital in Bergamo for the necessary treatment.
The rescue and the rescuers' statement
The rescue was successfully completed at 02:59 on December 18, when the rescuers reached the exit of the cave with the stretcher on which Ottavia Piana was. The accident occurred last Saturday during an exploration in the Abisso Bueno Fonteno area, in the province of Bergamo.
The rescue operations, which began at midnight on December 15, ended earlier than expected. 159 technicians from the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps from 13 Italian regions participated. Collaboration between the rescue teams was fundamental, as they took turns to ensure constant monitoring and assistance to the speleologist, supported by 6 doctors and 8 nurses from the Alpine and Speleological Rescue.
Once out of the cave, Ottavia Piana was transported on a stretcher to an area set up by the Fire Department for recovery by helicopter rescue via winch. Subsequently, the AREU 118 helicopter ambulance transferred her to the Bergamo Hospital.
The recovery operations lasted a total of 75 hours and involved numerous bodies and institutions. Special thanks go to AREU 118, the Prefecture of Bergamo, the Fire Department, the Carabinieri, the Municipality of Fonteno and the local Civil Protection for the support and collaboration provided during the intervention.
It was a very serious and complex situation, we hope that Ottavia can recover as soon as possible. The work done by the rescuers is incredible, but I wonder if there were mistakes that led to this accident. Safety is important.
It was a very difficult and complicated situation. The speleologist had many problems, but thanks to the rescuers who were very good, she managed to return to the hospital. We hope she recovers as soon as possible from these serious injuries.