Sardinian caver rescued from cave after 27 hours
Emergency services brought the 31-year-old man out alive from a cave near Urzulei after a landslide blocked the exit.
Follow-up to: Rescue operation in Sardinian cave continues on Monday Monday, 12 October 2026, 09:58
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A caver was rescued from a cave on Sardinia on Monday after approximately 27 hours. The man was conscious when rescuers reached him and was taken by helicopter to a hospital.
The 31-year-old Luca O. was freed on Monday from the Gorropeddu cave near Urzulei on Sardinia. A landslide had blocked the entrance and trapped the man about ten metres underground. Rescuers were initially able to communicate with him only by voice.
The rescue operation began after the man became trapped on Sunday afternoon. According to the Italian emergency services, dozens of specialists from the Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico and the fire service worked to clear the passage.
The conditions made the operation technically complex. Rescuers had to remove rubble and rocks without increasing the cave's instability. Additional specialist teams were brought in by helicopter, with support from the Italian Air Force among others.
According to reports, Luca O. remained responsive throughout the operation. After he was brought out of the cave, he was stabilised at the scene and flown by helicopter to a hospital for examination and further care.
The rescue follows the earlier report that emergency services would try again on Monday to reach the caver. The operation ultimately resulted in the man's rescue after he emerged from the cave alive after approximately 27 hours.
The Italian sources have released no further medical information about his condition. It is also not known exactly what caused the landslide. The rescue services mainly emphasise the cooperation between the speleological rescue service, the fire service, medical teams and the air force.
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The rescue, the duration of the entrapment and the emergency services involved were confirmed by ANSA and L'Unione Sarda. Non-public medical details and the cause of the landslide have not been filled in.
- confirmed The caver was rescued after approximately 27 hours. — Confirmed by L'Unione Sarda. source
- confirmed The man was trapped about ten metres underground. — Reported by ANSA and in earlier reporting on the rescue operation. source
- confirmed Speleological rescuers and the fire service were involved in the operation. — Confirmed by both sources. source
- confirmed The man was taken by helicopter to a hospital. — Reported by L'Unione Sarda. source
Editor's note
The rescue and the duration of approximately 27 hours were confirmed by two Italian sources. His medical condition after arriving at hospital and the cause of the landslide have not been made public.Sources
The story so far
- Monday, 12 October 2026, 09:58 Rescue operation in Sardinian cave continues on Monday
- Monday, 12 October 2026, 21:28 Sardinian caver rescued from cave after 27 hours (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „sardinië urzulei”
- RTL Nieuws — „sardinië urzulei”
- NOS — „sardinië urzulei”