Johann Westhauser, a German researcher, was rescued from inside the Riesending cave of the Unterberg mountain range.
Westhauser sustained an injury in his head and chest after a rock fall on Sunday. The cave, which means "massive thing" in German language, was at least 1,000 meters - about 3,280 feet - deep.
A companion of the German researcher reported his injury soon after reaching the surface. It took him 12 hours to go back. A third companion reportedly waited behind.
Westhauser was wearing headgear at the time of the accident, but his body was not able to sustain the weight of the rock. The team reportedly started mapping activity of the Riesending cave years ago.
BBC reported that two doctors are now making their way to help Westhauser. The doctors were divided into two teams: one team included Swiss experts and an Austrian doctor while the other team consisted of Italian officials. The first team made it to Base Station 3, located halfway down the cave. Bavarian radio also reported that the second team reached Base Station 3 as well.
The rescue operation might take six days as the cave was full of narrow passages and shafts that could impede the operation.
Exploring caves could be risky, but Peter Jager, a researcher of Asian caves who was not part of Westhauser's exploration team, explained that the risk was worth it. Researchers had to go underground to learn more about animals living inside the cave that might offer information about the evolution of animals. But Jager warned that researchers should apply the safety rules inside the cave that Westhauser followed.
"You should never go into a cave you don't know alone either. And even if you do know the cave, it's still better to go in with a partner. Things can always happen. You might slip and fall and end up with a broken leg - and if that happens it's good to have another person with you. Another thing is that you should always have a lighter with you to help you detect pockets of carbon monoxide - areas where the poisonous gas has collected - because you could suffocate," Jager told Deutsche Welle when asked for comment about the accident.
