The The Civil Guard has carried out ten rescues between July 16 and 18 in the Aragonese Pyrenees, in a weekend marked by tangles, sprains, ankle sprains, dislocations and the exhaustion of hikers, mountaineers and mountain runners. Most of the actions were concentrated during the day on Saturday, when mountain specialists intervened in seven emergencies spread over different parts of the Huesca Pyrenees.
The actions forced the mobilization of the Greim of Boltaña, Panticosa, Benasque, Jaca and Huesca, supported by the air units of the Civil Guard and health personnel of the 061. The rescues were motivated by injuries during sports, episodes of exhaustion, a seizure, a snake bite and two entanglements that prevented the mountaineers from continuing the activity. In addition, three of the interventions were related to the celebration of the Gran Trail Aneto-Posets.
THURSDAY WITH THREE RESCUES IN TELLA, PANTICOSA AND ASTUN
The first intervention took place during the early hours of Thursday, when two climbers aged 38 and 40, residents of the province of Lleida, were blocked on the ‘Mal de Altura’ route, in the municipality of Tella, after the ropes caught on them during the descent. The specialists of the Greim de Boltaña accessed them on foot and climbing and later accompanied them to their vehicle, where the rescue concluded.
Hours later, a 76-year-old hiker, a resident of Zaragoza, had to be evacuated after being stranded in an exposed area of the Ibón de los Asnos, in Panticosa, without the possibility of continuing the walk. A Civil Guard helicopter took him to the place where he had parked his vehicle.
The third performance, of which images are available, took place at 5:15 p.m. in the vicinity of the Astún ski resort. A 62-year-old hiker, a resident of Navarra, suffered a sprained ankle while hiking in the area. The members of the Greim de Jaca evacuated her by carrying her to the parking lot of the station, where an ambulance transferred her to the Hospital of Jaca.
SATURDAY CONCENTRATED SEVEN RESCUES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PYRENEES
The activity of the rescue teams intensified on Saturday with seven interventions in just a few hours. The first took place in the area of Ibón Chelau, in Fanlo, where a 30-year-old mountaineer, a resident of Talavera de la Reina (Toledo), suffered a knee sprain while descending from Monte Perdido. After being located from the air, he was evacuated to the Pradera de Ordesa to be assessed by the health services.
Shortly after, a 53-year-old hiker, a resident of Vizcaya, had to be rescued after suffering a snake bite on his calf while walking the Vuelta al Pico Pacino trail, in Sallent de Gállego. After being evacuated by helicopter he was treated and later transferred to the Jaca Hospital.
A 65-year-old hiker, a resident of Barcelona, who suffered a seizure in the area of the Llanos de La Larri, in the Pineta valley, was also evacuated. He was transferred to the Barbastro Hospital to receive medical assistance.
Dislocations, muscle injuries and lack of experience
Among the interventions on Saturday is also that of a group of seven 21-year-old hikers, from Guipúzcoa, Álava and Navarra, who were traveling the Russell route to Pico Collarada, in Canfranc. One of them suffered a dislocated shoulder after a trip and had to be evacuated to a nearby road for medical attention.
In Garmo Negro, a 46-year-old mountaineer, a resident of Valencia, suffered a ruptured fibre in her quadriceps, so she was evacuated by helicopter to Panticosa.
In addition, three mountaineers of Dutch nationality were helped while they were doing the via ferrata of Lo Pas de la Savina, in Estopiñán del Castillo. According to the Civil Guard, lack of attention and inexperience caused one of them, a 20-year-old man, to suffer injuries to his hands, so the entire group had to be evacuated.
Three runners helped during the Great Aneto-Posets Trail
The celebration of the Gran Trail Aneto-Posets also forced the mountain specialists to intervene on three occasions. The first of the rescues affected a 44-year-old runner, a resident of Paterna (Valencia), who could not continue the race due to exhaustion when he was on the Salenques pass.
Hours later, another participant, 42 years old and a resident of Madrid, had to be evacuated in the area of Pleta de Llosas, also due to exhaustion.
At the same point, a third runner, 37 years old and a resident of Zaragoza, was rescued, who suffered a sprained ankle during the race and had to be evacuated by helicopter to Benasque.
Un brigadista evacuado after suffering semi-consciousness in the Peña Montañesa
The last of Saturday’s rescues affected a 27-year-old volunteer firefighting brigade member from the Sobrarbe region, who suffered an episode of exhaustion and a state of semi-consciousness while carrying out work in the Peña Montañesa, in the municipality of Laspuña.
The specialists of the Greim de Benasque, together with the air unit and a doctor from the 061, evacuated him to the helisurface of Boltaña, where he was transferred to an ambulance for transfer to the Barbastro Hospital.
