A Spanish athlete has emerged from an underground cave after 500 days of isolation.
Beatriz Flamini, 50, of Madrid, entered the cave in southern Spain on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, according to Reuters.
She finally exited the cave which was about 70 meters (230 feet) underground around 9 a.m. local time on Friday, April 14, the AP reported.
Flamini said she passed the time by exercising, reading books, drawing, painting, and knitting, according to the reports.“In fact, I didn’t want to come out,” she said.
Flamini was 48 years old when she first entered the cave in Granada.
During the experiment, Flamini was monitored by psychologists, researchers and speleologists, who study caves, though they never made contact with her.
Flamini said she lost track of time after about two months, according to the Associated Press. However, the mountaineer thought she had only been underground for about 160 or 170 days.
“When they came in to get me, I was asleep. I thought something had happened,” Flamini told reporters. “I said Already? Surely not.’ I hadn’t finished my book.”
Flamini’s 500-day adventure was part of a project called “Timecave.” The goal was to assess how a human would handle living underground for a long stretch of time.
As part of the experiment, experts examined the impacts of social isolation and extreme temporary disorientation on the human body.
“I’m still stuck on November 21, 2021,” Flamini told reporters on Friday April 14. “I don’t know anything about the world.”
Flamini may have set a world record, too. Her team believes she holds the record for surviving the longest time while underground, though the Guinness Book of Records has yet to confirm.
Flamini said she never considered pressing the panic button she was given. She even survived a fly invasion, which left her covered in bugs.
The athlete also experienced “auditory hallucinations” while in the cave. She needed assistance standing up while speaking with reporters because of balance issues.
Still, Flamini was thrilled by the experience, which she called “excellent” and “unbeatable.”“You have to remain conscious of your feelings,” Flamini said.
“If you are afraid, that’s something natural but never let panic in or you get paralyzed.”
