A nighttime search and rescue operation by the Tatra Voluntary Rescue Service (TOPR) managed to locate three tourists who had disappeared in the Tatra Mountains in Poland, according to local broadcaster TVP Krakow.
On the night of September 27, 2024, rescuers from TOPR received a call from Slovak and Polish officials about three Lithuanian women who were missing in the Świnica region, located in the Tatra Mountains.
A total of 44 rescuers participated in the search, and a Polish PZL W-3 Sokół helicopter was used for the operation. This medium-sized, twin-engine helicopter can carry up to 10 passengers on folding seats and 2,100 kilograms (about 4,629 pounds) of cargo. The aircraft was created by the Polish company PZL-Świdnik, the first helicopter fully designed and built in Poland.
The female hikers were found on the morning of September 28, 2024. According to TOPR rescuers Piotr Konopka, at 04:20 local time, one of them was located at the Liliowa mountain passage, unconscious and suffering from severe hypothermia. Her body temperature was only 21 degrees.
“She was deeply chilled and unconscious, she was warmed up on the spot by rescuers for two hours,” Konopka told local media.
The woman was transported by cable car from the top of Kasprów to Kuznica, where she was moved to an ambulance. She was then flown by TOPR helicopter to a hospital in Krakow. Despite two hours of resuscitation and the speedy transfer to the hospital, however, the woman died.
The two other tourists were discovered alive, close to a hiking path. One woman was hospitalized in Zakopane, while the other, who was in good condition, was taken to a shelter.
The rescuer added that the women could not provide details about their trip, such as where they began or where they were headed. They all lacked proper gear and warm clothing and were not prepared for the harsh mountain weather conditions, the TVP reported.
2 comments
Very sorry to hear about this episode and thanks to the rescue team for trying so hard. Why would these women venture on such a hike without an experienced guide or proper equipment. Lessons learned.
I figured it was hypothermia. I lived in regions where altitude made temperatures deceptive, warming well during the day, I good weather, but getting quite chilly, this time of yr, after sundown. It’s sad they didn’t ask how to prepare for such an excursion, since they clearly didn’t know how such terrain is, climate-wise. I do wonder why they left their companion alone, however. Sharing body heat might have helped all 3, considerably.