Huge rescue operation underway for woman trapped in uncharted cave

A major rescue operation is underway to rescue a woman trapped deep inside an uncharted cave.

Expert spelunker Ottavia Piana is blocked inside a cave called Bueno Fonteno, in Bergano, in north-east Italy.

She and eight others were part of expedition to map a kilometre of an unchartered branch of the cave when she fell five metres on Saturday night and was injured.

Rescuers, who say she is alert and responsive, came withincame within 100 metres of her last night and have since used small explosives to try to breach the final section.

A spokesman for the rescue operation, Mauro Guiducci, said it was impossible to predict how long it would take to free Ottavia.

‘One thing is certain, these kinds of operations are very long,’ Mauro said, adding that a team of 20 technicians were operating inside the cave and dozens more were assisting above ground.

Last month, we looked back at the tragic story of 26-year-old John Edward Jones, who died after becoming trapped on a spelunking trip to a famous cave in Utah in the US.

John had crawled into a tiny unchartered tunnel in the Nutty Putty Cave, mistaking it for one that was well-known and frequently used.

He died after attempts to pull him out failed.

It was deemed too dangerous to remove his body and the doctor and father remains buried at the site.

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