The speleologist Ottavia Piana is safe, after four days she is out of the cave: “Now she is in good hands”

«At 2.59am on 18 December our rescuers reached the exit together with the stretcher with the speleologist who was injured in an exploratory area of ​​the cave Bueno Fonteno Abyss last Saturday afternoon. The rescue activities, which began at midnight on 15 December, concluded ahead of the estimated timescales and saw the use of 159 technicians from the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps from 13 Italian regions”. With these words the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps announces that Ottavia Piana she is safe.

«The synergy between the various teams that took turns during the recovery mission was crucialin which the injured woman was constantly monitored and assisted by a total of 6 doctors and 8 nurses from the Alpine and Speleological Rescue. Once out of the cave, the stretcher was transferred by the Alpine and Speleological Rescue teams to an area where the Fire Brigade had set up a suitable point for the recovery of the helicopter rescue via winch. The woman, once taken care of by the AREU 118 air ambulance, was transported to the Bergamo hospital. The rescue operations continued continuously for 75 hours. We thank AREU 118, the Prefecture of Bergamo, the Fire Brigade, the Carabinieri, the Municipality of Fonteno and the local Civil Protection for their collaboration and support.”

It was understood from the evening of Tuesday 17 December that the recovery operations would be faster than expected. «The last stretch was covered faster than expectedthanks to the preventive removal of obstructions in various points of the cave and the choice made by the doctors to avoid prolonged stops”, the Alpine Rescue announced late yesterday evening.

Giorgio Pannuzzo, speleologist and friend of Ottavia Pianahe told the Corriere della Sera: «Now Octavia is in good hands. The more time passed the more tired and sore she became. But he felt the outside approaching.” At the time of the accident he was with her in the cave. He was also among the people waiting for him outside after a four-day operation, with 120 technicians divided into 15-hour shifts.

Having emerged from the tunnels, the speleologist Ottavia Piana was transferred onto a stretcher. It tolerated transportation very well. He has trauma and probable fractures in various parts of his body to be ascertained with instruments that could not have been in the cave.

There will be an investigation. The carabinieri of the Clusone company will reconstruct the entire story. They should investigate whether all precautions were followed in the second accident in less than two years in the cave. All speleologists involved will be interviewed.