Rescue Efforts: Potholer trapped in Navarra Caves

[L Roebuck]

Rescue operation for Belgian potholer trapped in Navarra caves
Spain News: National

Spanish police say it could be another two days before the woman can be brought out of the fissure in Isaba

A medical team is reported to have reached a Belgian caver who has been trapped in a fissure in Isaba, Navarra, since Saturday.

Spanish police name her as Anette Van Houtte, and say she is at a depth of between 650 to 700 metres in the Sima AN 51 and four to five kilometres from the entrance. She has an open wound and fractures to three toes.

A telephone cable has been in place since Monday, keeping the injured woman in contact with the surface.

The rescue operation is expected to be complicated, and could take more than two days. EFE reports that explosives may have to be used to make the exit route more accessible.

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[tncaveres]

Now that is a BIG rescue

[L Roebuck]

Belgian potholer rescued after 4 days trapped in Pyrenees cave system
Spain News : National

The journey to the surface covered a distance of almost five kilometres

The Belgian pot-holer who has been trapped in the underground cave systems of the Navarra Pyrenees since Saturday has been safely brought above ground.

Anette Van Houtte was brought out by a specialist team of the Civil Guard early on Wednesday, with the team taking it in turns on carrying the stretcher along the almost five kilometre journey to the surface.

She was trapped at a depth of 650-700 metres in the Sima AN 51 Piedra de San Martín cave near the town of Isaba, suffering fractures to three toes and an open wound when she was caught in a rockfall.

She is now being transferred to hospital in Pau, in France.

Dominique le Senechal, the fire brigade commandant from Pau who was with the French team helping in the rescue operation, told El Mundo newspaper that the rescue concluded at 5.38 this morning. He described it as perfectly coordinated.
Óscar Esteban, his colleague with the Spanish Civil Guard, said only one of the rescuers was slightly injured and was able to reach the surface on foot.

There was some difficulty as the team neared the exit, where the passage was too narrow to get the stretcher through: the team was delayed some five hours while blasting took place to open up the route.

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[Brian Roebuck]

Great news! Glad she got out OK!