Spain: An athlete has resurfaced after spending 500 days underground

A Spanish extreme athlete has surfaced on Friday after spending 500 days in a 70-meter-deep natural cave in Spain.

An extraordinary challenge. Beatrice Flamini (50) climbed to the surface and returned to the open air on Friday after spending 500 days in a natural cave, where she was completely cut off from the world. The Spanish extreme sportswoman on November 21, 2021 descended into a cavity located about 10 kilometers from Motril, a small town located in the south of Andalusia (Spain).

“complete solitude without reference to time”

However, she had to interrupt this experience and return to the surface for about a week for security reasons, before descending again into this cave, according to Spanish media El País. According to her statement, she spent this week alone and in solitary confinement.

His stay in this Andalusian alcove was part of a scientific experiment aimed at assessing the physical and mental impact of utter isolation and long-term loss of temporal landmarks. Beatriz Flamini explained, during a press conference, that she only had books, artificial light, and cameras to record her experience, but she did not have a phone or device to know the experience, the time, or the day of the year.

“Challenges of this kind were many, but none with all the characteristics of this, alone and in complete isolation, without contact with the outside, without natural light, without reference to time,” emphasized David Reyes, member of the Andalusian Federation of Speleologists, who was responsible for the safety of athletes.