Latest news with #speleologist
The Independent
22-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Rescuers use explosives to free injured explorer from underground cave
Italian rescuers have successfully freed a 63-year-old cave explorer who was injured by falling rocks some 40 metres (more than 130 feet) below the surface. The man, who sustained a head injury during the incident in the northwestern Piedmont region, was brought to the surface on Monday by crews who resorted to using explosives to widen the cave at key junctures. Their ascent also involved navigating two 15-metre (49-foot) vertical shafts and a series of narrow, winding passages. Medical teams had reached the injured man after the accident on Sunday. They treated him inside a heated tent while the exit path was being cleared. He remained in good condition throughout the ordeal, they said. The man was reportedly a speleologist – a scientist who studies caves. The field encompasses the study of cave and rock formations, hydrology (the movement and distribution of water), and cave ecosystems. The incident occurred in the Abisso Paperino cave system, which extends 170 metres (560 feet) underground near the town of Ormea in Cuneo province, according to Italy's mountain rescue corps.
Fox News
21-07-2025
- Science
- Fox News
Rescue operation frees injured man trapped 130 feet underground in Italian cave
A scientist studying caves found himself in a dangerous situation on Sunday. While exploring the Abisso Paperino cave in Italy along with others, the explorer became trapped by falling rocks. The 62-year-old speleologist was found over 130 feet below the surface with a head injury. That injury prevented him from escaping the cave, The Associated Press (AP) reported. In order to help retrieve the man from the cave, rescuers widened the cave using explosive charges at three key junctures carrying him to the surface. The Abisso Paperino cave extends nearly 600 feet underground, according to AP. It is also home to a fossil gallery and located near the of Ormea in Cuneo province. The cave is located in the Piedmont region in Northwest Italy, sitting at the foot of the Swiss Alps. Photos released by the Italian National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps show the successful rescue operation as the trapped man was finally released. Italy has about 34,000 natural caves, according to Aeroporti Di Roma. The U.S. National Park Services (NPS) advises visitors who explore caves to wear sturdy closed-toed shoes, long sleeves and pants to protect themselves from scrapes. At least one flashlight or headlamp should be brought with extra light sources and batteries recommended by NPS. "Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return," says the NPS site. "Do not deviate from your planned itinerary, and be sure to check in with them when you return."
CTV News
21-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Rescuers work to free an injured cave explorer trapped more than 130 feet underground in Italy
This photo, provided on Monday, July 21, 2025, by the Italian National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps, shows rescue operations outside the cave where a 62-year-old speleologist became trapped on Sunday. (National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps via AP) MILAN — A rescue operation was underway Monday to free a cave explorer who was injured by falling rocks some 40 metres (more than 130 feet) below the surface in Italy's Piedmont region while on an outing with a group of friends, according to the country's mountain rescue corps. Medical teams reached the injured man after the accident on Sunday and were treating him inside a heated tent for a head injury that prevents him from exiting the cave on his own. Rescuers used explosive charges to widen the cave at three key junctures so the injured man could be carried to the surface. He remained in good condition. The Abisso Paperino extends 170 metres (about 557 feet) underground, including a fossil gallery, near the town of Ormea in Cuneo province. The Associated Press
