The rescue team doctor suspected that the man had broken his hip and severely injured his pelvis and he had to be lifted from the cave on a stretcher, the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration has said.
The doctor remained with him throughout the rescue which was very demanding. The Bat Cave, located near the village of Orlek, is unexplored, undocumented and very narrow in some places.
The shaft had to be widened in four places in order to lift the caver to the surface, demanding the cooperation of a special shaft-widening unit of the Cave Rescue Service.
The rescue team members came to Orlek from Postojna, Sežana, Tolmin, Ljubljana, Kranj and Velenje, Maks Merela, the head of the rescue mission, has told the STA.
The man injured himself at about 1 PM yesterday, when a hold gave way and he fell about three meters and remained stuck 80 metres underground. His partner returned to the surface and alerted the rescue services about an hour later.
The first rescue service members arrived at the site just ten minutes later, beginning the effort to retrieve the man, which ended at nearly 3:30 AM. The caver has been admitted to the Izola Hospital.
