A 31-year-old caver trapped for 27 hours in a cave in Urzulei, Sardinia, was rescued.

Urzulei – Luca Olmetto is safe. A long round of applause greeted the surfacing of Luca Olmetto, the 31-year-old from Codrongianos (Sassari), who yesterday became trapped in a cave in Gorroppeddu, on the border between Urzulei and Baunei in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia, while exploring with his partner.

Rescuers who had been working for 27 hours to remove the landslide that had trapped the caver inside the cave reached him and freed him, bringing him to the surface. He was stabilized by 118 emergency medical workers and transported to the hospital by Aresus helicopter for necessary checks and treatment. The synergy between the fire department and the Alpine and Speleological Rescue team was crucial in the recovery operations.

Around eighty specialists from various parts of Sardinia participated in the rescue operations.

The alarm was raised by his partner, who managed to escape before the tunnel collapsed. Rescue efforts continued throughout the night. Firefighters and mountain rescuers removed rocks and debris for about 10 meters before reaching the 31-year-old Sardinian.

The young speleologist remained alert throughout, resisting for 27 hours, until rescuers reached him in the late afternoon and brought him to the surface.