Race against time to save potholer trapped in cave on Sardinia

(ANSA) - ROME, 12 OTT - Recsuers said Monday it is a race against time to save a 31-year-old Sardinian potholer who has been trapped in a cave on the island since a rockslide on Sunday. Rescue operations are continuing apace for the caver from Sassari who became trapped in the Gorropeddu cave in Urzulei. Rescuers, who have been working since Sunday afternoon and throughout the night, cleared the cave entrance and stabilized the access walls this morning to prevent further collapses; they have now reached the narrow passage where the young caver—alive and conscious—has been trapped for 20 hours following a rockfall that caught him by surprise while he was exploring the cave. The teams on site (48 members of the Sardinia Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps, alongside 30 firefighters specializing in USAR-M, SAF, and TAS operations, with support from the Dorgali Civil Protection) cleared boulders from the entrance and are now proceeding with the delicate manual removal of material obstructing the passage where the caver remains trapped beneath the debris. The operation is taking place in an extremely confined space—a work area of approximately 1.5 by 1.5 meters—characterized by highly unstable conditions. As they excavate and remove material, rescuers must stabilize the walls by installing retaining boards to prevent further collapses and allow for safer progress. A helicopter is expected to arrive shortly, carrying additional materials and equipment needed to secure the site, with the aim of enabling rescuers to reach the man and remove the earth and stones pinning him down. (ANSA).
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