Landslide in Cerler: one dead and another hospitalized after being located by the Civil Guard

A new avalanche in the Aragonese Pyrenees , this time in Cerler , has prompted the mobilization of various institutions and the Civil Guard Mountain Rescue Team (GREIM) from Huesca, specifically the Benasque unit.  Two people have been located after several hours missing, according to sources within the Civil Guard. One of them has died, and the other has been transferred to the Miguel Servet Hospital in Zaragoza, where they remain in the ICU with symptoms of hypothermia. 

The deceased was 25 years old and a resident of Zaragoza. He was found by a search dog around 2:00 p.m., at which time CPR was performed. Following this, he was airlifted to the Benasque helipad for transfer to the funeral services. Meanwhile, the other young man, 22 years old and a resident of Guadalajara, was located and airlifted by the Huesca Air Unit helicopter to the Ampriu parking lot at the Cerler ski resort. From there, he was transferred to a 112 medical helicopter and taken to Miguel Servet Hospital.

According to the Government of Aragon, both were off the ski slopes. Once the alert was issued, members of the Benasque Mountain Rescue Team (GREIM) were deployed to the search area near Pico Cibollés. A helicopter also took off from Zaragoza as a precaution in case they were trapped by the avalanche. 

The incident occurred on a day when the Ribagorza region was under a level three avalanche alert. This is according to the bulletin from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), which also issued the same alert for Jacetania, Alto Gállego, and Sobrarbe. Gusty winds and recent snowfall increase the likelihood of such situations, Aemet reports. 

In Zaragoza, the Regional Minister of Finance and the Interior, Roberto Bermúdez de Castro, monitored the situation from the 112 emergency call center in the Pignatelli Building. Ultimately, it was not necessary for him to travel to Cerler, as the Government of Aragon (DGA) had initially indicated. The Government Delegate in Aragon, Fernando Beltrán, was in contact with the Civil Guard. 

Likewise, the President of the Government of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, offered his condolences to the family and friends of the victim via social media: “This harsh winter is leaving us with too many tragedies in the mountains. My condolences to the family and friends of the deceased in the avalanche that occurred today in Cerler and my best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.”