A 31-year-old man has been rescued after spending approximately 26 hours trapped underground in a cave in Sardinia, Italy, following a rockfall.
Luca Olmetto was exploring Gorropeddu cave near Urzulei, a town on the Italian island, when rocks collapsed around him on Sunday, leaving him trapped about 32 feet (10 metres) below ground. According to Italian news agency ANSA, the incident triggered a major rescue operation involving more than 100 emergency personnel.
The National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps said Olmetto was found alive and freed on Monday afternoon after rescuers worked for more than 24 hours to reach him. The operation was particularly challenging because of the narrow spaces and unstable debris inside the cave.
Rescuers carefully removed the collapsed rocks by hand to reach the cavity where Olmetto was trapped. Once freed, he was stabilised before being airlifted to hospital for further medical examinations and treatment, local media reported. The rescue was led by the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps, working alongside the local fire department.
In a statement shared on social media, the rescue organisation described the operation as particularly complex, highlighting the difficulties posed by the extremely confined working conditions. Olmetto is a cave enthusiast who studies underground formations. He had been exploring the cave, located along a mountain range in central-eastern Sardinia, when the collapse occurred on Sunday afternoon.
News of his rescue brought relief to his home community of Codrongianos in north-west Sardinia. The town’s council announced his rescue in a social media post, saying residents had spent hours anxiously following developments.
“After hours of great anxiety, the news that the entire Codrongianos was waiting for has finally arrived: Luca is out of the cave!” the council said.
It described the period during the rescue operation as difficult for the community and thanked the emergency personnel who worked tirelessly to reach him.
Olmetto was taken to hospital after being freed, with further medical checks and treatment planned.
