A caving accident on the Italian island of Sardinia resulted in a successful rescue operation after a 31-year-old man became trapped beneath ground. Luca Olmetto was exploring the Gorroppeddu cave in the Urzulei mountain range in central-eastern Sardinia when a rockslide occurred on Sunday afternoon, completely blocking the cave entrance and trapping him approximately 10 metres below the surface.
Olmetto’s girlfriend was caving with him at the time but was positioned several metres behind him and managed to avoid the collapse entirely. She escaped the cave without injury and immediately contacted authorities to report the incident. Throughout his entrapment, Olmetto remained conscious and responsive, which aided rescue efforts significantly.
A large-scale rescue operation was mounted involving approximately 48 experts from Sardinia’s Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps, 30 firefighters, and civil protection personnel. Rescuers worked continuously to clear a narrow passage blocked by rubble and earth, reaching Olmetto by late Monday afternoon. The extraction process required careful removal of substantial debris covering the trapped explorer before he could be brought to the surface just after 6pm CET. Once extracted, medical personnel stabilized him at the site before transporting him by helicopter to a hospital.
The rescue drew widespread attention from Olmetto’s hometown of Codrongianos in north-western Sardinia, with local officials expressing community support and gratitude toward the rescue teams. The incident reflects ongoing risks associated with cave exploration, particularly in largely unexplored natural cavities such as the Gorroppeddu cave.
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