ROME — Ottavia Piana, the caver who was stuck in a cave in the Bergamo area, has been rescued. At 2:59 am rescuers reached the exit, together with the stretcher on which the woman had been placed.

Piana had been injured in an exploratory area of the 'Abisso Bueno Fonteno' cave last Saturday afternoon. The woman was constantly monitored and assisted by a total of 6 doctors and eight nurses from the Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service.

The rescue operation began at midnight on Sunday and was completed ahead of schedule. The operation involved 159 members of the National Alpine and Speleological Association from 13 Italian regions.

It was Piana herself who encouraged her rescuers, according to them. "In the last stretch, she gave us the charge," said Corrado Camerini, a member of the rescue team from the region of Lombardy.

"Our aim is to do our job with results: the response from the Soccorso alpino is what we expected. Our mountain rescue service is among the most effective in Europe and this also proved it," Camerini continued.

Once Piana was rescued from the cave, a helicopter transported her to Bergamo Hospital. Piana, who suffered trauma to her spine and ribs and fractures to her facial bones and one of her knees, is stable. — Euronews