Explorer rescued 75 hours after plunging into complex claustrophobic cave system A cave explorer who became injured during an ill-fated spelunking trip was hauled out by rescuers - 75 hours after plunging into the cave system's claustrophobic depths.
Ottavia was carried out of the cave on a stretcher by Alpine rescuers having suffered facial, rib and knee fractures 75 hours following the five-metre fall on Wednesday.
Speleologist Ottavia Piana, 32, was trying to map an unexplored section of the Bueno Fonteno cave complex, which sits 500 metres underground near Lago d'Iseo in Lombardy, northern Italy when she fell and injured herself on Saturday afternoon.
Around 160 technicians from 13 Italian regions descended on the cave system after members of Ottavia's team called for help, stating she was injured and trapped deep inside the tunnel.
She was brought out of the cave at around 3am local time (2am GMT) on Wednesday, several days following her initial fall but more than half a day earlier than initially expected.
