As of: March 24, 2024, 1:32 p.m
By: Johannes Welte
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Cave rescuers on the way to the injured researcher.
© Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Veneto - CNSAS/Facebook
A dramatic cave rescue operation took place in the Vicentine Alps between the Dolomites and Lake Garda.
A cave explorer was hit by a falling boulder.
Vicenza - The Vicentina Alps are a small natural paradise in the north of Italy between the Dolomites and Lake Garda that has been spared from mass tourism.
Rugged mountain peaks, deep gorges with emerald green streams are for nature lovers, and the mountains are like Swiss cheese riddled with caves to explore.
One of them, the Buso della Rana, can be visited as a normal tourist; at 40 kilometers it is the largest cave system in the Veneto.
Cavers climbed into a flooded tunnel system in Italy
On Saturday, four speleologists went into the Pissatèla cave, which was only discovered in the noughties and is a branch of the Buso della Rana system.
The low entrance, more of a pass-through, to the Pissatèla cavern system is located on the plateau of Monte di Malo (“Mountain of Evil”), through which an underground river flows at a depth of 70 meters - parts of the cave are therefore under water.
When entering the cave, the researchers apparently tied a rope around a rock or stalactite so that they could abseil down.
But the chunk was loose and fell - it hit one of the four, a 41-year-old Italian from the town of Schio in the Veneto.
The man became unconscious.
At around 1 p.m., one of his two comrades who was able to go out fetched help.
According to the Veneto Cave Rescue, the accident site was about a 45-minute walk from the cave entrance.
Falling rock falls on man's head in cave
A complex rescue operation developed.
A telephone line was laid in the cave, a rescue helicopter was called in, and the cave rescuers from Veneto and South Tyrol set up a base camp at the cave entrance.
The cave rescuers from Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Friuli Venezia Giulia were also alerted, and fire brigade personnel came to illuminate the area of the operation site.
The initially unconscious man recovered and one of his companions stayed with him.
The third speleologist, who was at the head of the rope group, got stuck on a terrace above the accident site after the rope was cut by the falling rocks.
Only one person was able to get outside to get help.
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Such rescue operations are complex.
While exploring a cave in Turkey, an American suffered a stomach bleed as recently as fall 2023.
An international aid mission ran at full speed for days.
An expert explained what made the rescue so difficult.
Italy: Rescuers prepare explosives to clear path
In Italy, a rescue team rappelled down to the victims on Saturday, including a rescue doctor and a paramedic.
Fortunately, they were able to determine that his conditions were not worrisome.
Apparently the rock had only grazed his head.
A dozen rescue workers worked inside the cave to prepare the vertical routes for removal.
Small explosive charges had even been prepared to blow away bottlenecks so that the patient could be transported on a stretcher.
But that didn't prove necessary as the 41-year-old was able to move around on his own with support.
Wearing a diving suit, he was escorted through a flooded section, where he was able to take a break in a larger room, also to check his health again.
The cave explorer was eventually lifted up through the vertical sections using harnesses, pulleys and counterweights and then escorted to the exit.
Twenty other first responders were waiting for him at base camp.
At 11:50 p.m. the injured man was taken by ambulance to the Vicenza clinic.