Dozens of men and equipment are involved in a rescue operation that is being described as "particularly complex and delicate."
Since yesterday evening, the rescue operation for Luca Olmetto, a 31-year-old caver from Codrongianos, has been underway in the mountains between Urzulei and Baunei. He was trapped ten meters deep in the Gorropeddu cave , beneath a pile of rocks and debris. The hiker was exploring with his girlfriend when the wall collapsed, trapping him inside the tunnel.
The thirty-one-year-old manages to communicate with rescuers, but the situation inside the cave is not easy. On site—a rugged area difficult to reach by land-based vehicle—a joint effort involves mountain rescue, thirty firefighters, and the Air Force helicopter.
The specialists cleared the entrance to the cavity of boulders and began manually removing the material blocking the tunnel.
The operations, it is explained, "take place in an extremely restricted environment, with a working space of approximately 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters, characterized by highly unstable conditions."
As they proceed with excavation and removal of material, rescuers must consolidate the walls by placing retaining boards to prevent further collapse and allow safer progress. A helicopter arrived this morning to transport additional materials and equipment needed to secure the area, allowing rescuers to reach Olmetto and remove the earth and rocks under which it is trapped. "The operation remains particularly complex and delicate," the Alpine Rescue team said, "both due to the extremely limited space and the instability of the material that technicians are gradually removing. Updates will follow."
(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)