Emergency teams in northwestern Italy successfully rescued a cave explorer Monday after his leg became pinned beneath a rock approximately 120 meters (394 feet) below ground, according to emergency services officials who reported the operation required 53 rescue personnel.
The nighttime rescue unfolded at the Grotta dei Cinghiali Volanti (Cave of the Flying Wild Boars), located in Cuneo province roughly 120 kilometers south of Turin, an area known as one of Italy’s premier caving destinations.
Rescue teams initially provided medical care to the trapped explorer at a temporary treatment station established within the cave before moving him to the surface for ambulance transport to a medical facility, according to a statement from the Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service.
Officials determined the man’s condition was stable enough that he did not need to be carried out on a stretcher, the rescue service noted, while emphasizing that response teams traveled from multiple regions across Italy to assist.
Authorities identified the rescued individual as an Italian citizen. News outlets reported his age as 20.
