Incidents

Ankle sprains, falls and heatstroke in a week without serious incidents in the Aragonese mountains

The Guardia Civil in Huesca had an especially busy week of mountain rescues. A total of 16 rescues or evacuations involved hikers, mountaineers and motorcyclists affected by injuries, getting lost, difficulties continuing or route-planning problems. The incidents resulted in ankle sprains, falls and heatstroke, none of them serious.
Ankle sprains, falls and heatstroke in a week without serious incidents in the Aragonese mountains

Two operations took place on Monday, August 31. A 57-year-old French hiker suffered an ankle sprain after tripping near Llanos de Millares, in Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, and had to be evacuated by helicopter. Hours later, another 57-year-old French man became stranded on rocky terrain while carrying out an activity near Pico Tena Cantal, in Sallent de Gállego. Specialists made contact with him and, after he spent the night in the area, he was located and evacuated the following morning. On September 1, a 63-year-old motorcyclist from Barcelona was assisted after suffering a fall on the Liena forest track, in Bielsa, resulting in lower back pain.

September 2 saw four interventions. Two mountaineers from Zaragoza, aged 67 and 69, became stranded near Pico Labata, in Ansó, while two climbers from Barcelona, aged 23 and 30, experienced problems with their ropes during an activity on Pico Anayet. That same day, a 65-year-old woman from Madrid suffered an ankle sprain after tripping in the area of Puente de la Zoche, in Panticosa. In addition, two young people from Alicante, aged 20 and 22, had to be evacuated from near Ibón de Gorgutes, in Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, after being unable to continue because of a combination of poor planning, overestimating their abilities and a lack of suitable equipment.

September 3 brought three more interventions. On the Alquézar walkways, a 64-year-old woman suffered heatstroke and had to be taken to San Jorge Hospital in Huesca, while her companion, a 70-year-old man, was evacuated to the town. On Pico Castillo de Acher, a 17-year-old girl from Navarre injured her meniscus after tripping and was taken to Jaca Hospital. That night, two Colombian minors who had gone missing on the Saletas trail, in Benasque, were located by the GREIM and taken to their home.

The busiest day was September 5, with six rescues. A 36-year-old man from Cinca Medio suffered a knee sprain after a fall near Ibón de Iserias, in Canfranc. Shortly afterward, a woman injured her ankle when rocks fell at the Brecha Ledormer, while a 54-year-old man from Zaragoza suffered injuries to his shoulder, leg and face after a fall at Collado de Pondiellos. The afternoon also saw three consecutive interventions around Pico Aspe: a 28-year-old woman from Navarre and two young men from Madrid, aged 22 and 23, became stranded on rocky terrain and needed to be evacuated. Finally, two Dutch hikers, aged 64 and 65, were assisted on the GR-11 in the Pineta Valley after one of them injured a knee.

In total, more than 20 people needed assistance or evacuation over these six days, but there were no particularly serious incidents.