PALINURO —  Operations have been resumed to recover the body of Silvio Anzola, a diver who for the last few days has been trapped in an underground passage of the Scaletta cave off the coast of Palinuro, in the Province of Salerno. Anzola is the only remaining diver still in the caves, after the bodies of his companions Mauro Cammardella and Mauro Tancredi were recovered over the week-end and taken to the nearby hospital in Vallo della Lucania for an autopsy. 

 “We will resume operations in accordance with visibility levels on the seabeds,” explained captain of the frigate Alberto Mandrillo, adding that “rescue boats have already been stationed in the water.”

 The local judiciary mentioned the possibility of closing down the caves, but the idea met with opposition from mayor Carmelo Stanziola, who said that such a measure "would serve little purpose. It would be like deciding to shut down the ski slopes.”

 The rescue operation is a difficult one, with the caves going down to a depth of around 50 metres, and one rescue diver had to resort to a pressure chamber after a potential risk of embolism. The matter is not helped by the silt at the bottom of the cave which, in the words of Regional Director of the Firefighters Giovanni Nanni, “generates cloudy suspensions and makes it virtually impossible to see." 

 According to certain sources, the incident occurred after the three divers forgot to lay the escape rope along the whole length of the cave’s lower passage. There did seem to be an old rope along one side of the passage, but this did not cover the entire tunnel. 

 The equipment of each diver will have to be examined to understand the exact cause of the incident. But whatever the outcome, the event came as a shock to all those close to the three divers, who all had considerable experience. 

 According to a friend of Cammardella and Tancredi, the two "knew the waters like the back of their hand, and went out ever day of the year. Cammardella was a five-star diver, and he always planned out his excursions meticulously."

 "Everyone who knew the divers has lost a part of their heart. Palinuro will never be the same again."

 lej