Garessio in Piedmont. Last weekend an accident occurred in a nearby cave.Image: imago
June 1, 2026, 1:11 p.mJune 1, 2026, 1:11 p.m
A speleologist has been freed from a cave in northern Italy after an hour-long rescue operation.
The man was trapped with one leg under a rock at a depth of around 120 meters in the Grotta dei Cinghiali Volanti cave near Garessio in the Piedmont region on Sunday. In the morning, the mountain rescue service reported that the man – an Italian around 20 years old – had been freed and was now being examined in the hospital.
More than 50 emergency services were involved in the rescue operation. This was difficult due to the conditions of the underground environment and the nature of the path. The operation lasted several hours. The man’s health condition was initially unclear.
Cave in a popular karst area in Piedmont
The emergency services finally reached the cave explorer, removed the rock and freed the young man. The rescue team set up a small medical care center underground. Doctors and paramedics examined the man there. However, according to the mountain rescue service, his condition was good, so that, contrary to what was initially assumed, he did not have to be transported out of the narrow cave on a stretcher.
The cave is located at an altitude of around 1,200 meters in the Rocca d’Orse-Val d’Inferno karst area. The area is a popular destination for speleologists. According to the TV channel Rai, there are more than 600 cavities that have already been explored, including caves, shafts and large underground systems. (sda/dpa/fwa)