Injuries, snow and getting lost: the Aragonese Pyrenees see seven rescues this week

The Aragonese Pyrenees saw a busy last week of February for the Guardia Civil’s mountain rescue specialists. Between the 23rd and 28th , the 112 SOS Aragón Emergency Center, located at the 062 Central Command, received seven calls from various locations in the province of Huesca.

None of these interventions, carried out by the GREIM teams , have been serious, ending with a tally of several injured with fractures and knee injuries, in addition to hikers and skiers lost or blocked by the snow.

HIKERS FALLEN AND BLOCKED BY SNOW

The first incident occurred on February 23 at 1:40 p.m. on the popular Camino del Cielo trail, in the municipality of Las Peñas de Riglos . A 71-year-old hiker from Badalona suffered an ankle injury after tripping on the trail. Members of the Huesca Mountain Rescue Team (GREIM), the Air Unit, and a doctor from the 061 emergency medical service were dispatched to the area . After being located from the helicopter, she was evacuated and taken to San Jorge Hospital in the city of Huesca.

That same day, at 8:00 p.m., a hiker had to be rescued after becoming stuck in a steep, difficult-to-travel area due to heavy snowfall in the San Epifanio ravine (Canfranc). The GREIM mountain rescue team from Jaca was activated and, after locating the hiker on foot, accompanied the 46-year-old man , a resident of Valencia, to the town of Canfranc Estación.

ANKLE FRACTURES AND KNEE INJURIES

Just one day later, on Tuesday, February 24 , two climbers had to be rescued while climbing the Santiago Domingo route (Monfalcó-Viacam and La Litera). One of them, a 58-year-old man from the Bajo Cinca region, had fallen and fractured his ankle, while his companion, a 35-year-old woman from La Litera, was unharmed.

The Huesca Mountain Rescue Team (GREIM), the Huesca Air Unit, and a doctor from the 061 emergency medical service were activated . After flying over the area and locating the climbers, they were evacuated and transported by aircraft to the parking lot where their vehicle was located, continuing on their own .

This wasn’t the only injury of the day. That same afternoon, around 4:00 PM , a 39-year-old man from Requena (Valencia), a ski mountaineer, injured his knee while skiing near Ibón del Salterillo (Benasque). The Benasque Mountain Rescue Team (GREIM), the Huesca Air Unit, and a doctor from the 061 emergency medical service were activated.

After flying over the area and locating the skier, he was evacuated and transported by aircraft to the helipad in the town of Benasque and later to Llanos del Hospital , where his private vehicle was located.

RESCUES FOR LOST PERSONS, DISORIENTATION AND EXHAUSTION

After a few days of relative calm, the last three rescues took place this Saturday, February 28th . The first, at 2:45 p.m., involved two hikers on the Three Waterfalls route (Cerler). The two young people, a 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman, both from Zaragoza , got lost, forcing the hike to be suspended. The Benasque Mountain Rescue Team (GREIM) was activated and, after locating the hikers, accompanied them to their vehicle, allowing them to continue on their own .

A little later, at 3:50 p.m. , a 32-year-old skier from Barcelona had to be rescued while skiing off-piste near Pico Rincón del Cielo (Cerler). The woman had become stranded on a rocky outcrop and was disoriented . The Benasque Mountain Rescue Team (GREIM) and the Huesca Air Unit were activated. After flying over the area and locating the skier, she was evacuated and transported by helicopter to the helipad in Benasque, from where she continued her journey on her own.

Finally, at 5:00 PM, a report was received from a mountaineer showing signs of exhaustion while hiking near the Ordelca Refuge (Aragües del Puerto). The Jaca Mountain Rescue Team (GREIM), the Huesca Air Unit, and a doctor from the 061 emergency medical service were activated. After surveying the area and locating the mountaineer, he was evacuated and transported by helicopter to the Lizara Refuge parking lot . He is a 59-year-old man from San Sebastián (Guipuzcoa).