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 theAssociated PressandReuters.

She finally exited the cave — which was about 70 meters (230 feet) underground — around 9 a.m. local time on Friday, the AP reported.

“In fact, I didn’t want to come out,” she said.

JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images

Spanish sportswoman Beatriz Flamini (R) hugs a relative upon getting out of a cave in Los Gauchos, near Motril on April 14, 2023 after spending 500 days inside

Flamini was 48 years old when she first entered the cave in Granada, according tothe BBCand Reuters.

Flamini said she lost track of time after about two months, according to the AP and BBC. However, the mountaineer thought she had only been underground for about 160 or 170 days.

Spanish sportswoman Beatriz Flamini leaves a cave in Los Gauchos, near Motril on April 14, 2023 after spending 500 days inside

“When they came in to get me, I was asleep. I thought something had happened,” Flamini told reporters, per Reuters' report. “I said: ‘Already? Surely not.’ I hadn’t finished my book.”

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Spanish elite athlete, mountaineer and climber Beatriz Flamini (C) poses with assistance coordinator David Reyes (R), after leaving a cave where she remained isolated for 500 days at a depth of 70 meters, in the coastal town of Motril, Granada, Spain, 14 April 2023

Flamini’s 500-day adventure was part of a project called “Timecave,” according to the AP. 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, per the BBC.

“I’m still stuck on November 21, 2021,” Flamini told reporters on Friday. “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.

Spanish elite athlete, mountaineer and climber Beatriz Flamini (C) poses with members of the Group of Speleological Activities of Motril, moments after leaving a cave where she remained isolated for 500 days

Flamini said she never considered pressing the panic button she was given, according to Reuters. She even pressed on through a fly invasion, which left her covered in bugs.

The extreme athlete also experienced “auditory hallucinations” while in the cave, per the BBC’s report. She needed assistance standing up while speaking with reporters because of balance issues.

“You have to remain conscious of your feelings,” Flamini said, per Reuters' report. “If you’re afraid, that’s something natural but never let panic in or you get paralyzed.”

source: people.com