Torres del Paine, February 5, 2024 – A successful search operation was carried out last week on the trail leading to Base Torres, which concluded with the rescue and prompt assistance of a 33 year-old hiker from the United States, with the initials A.S.
The foreign hiker was found missing after his group of 3 separated on the way from the Francés sector towards the Cuernos sector, having agreed to meet at the Chileno Mountain Hostel. However, the remaining hiker never arrived at the agreed upon meeting point.
Around midnight, his friends alerted staff at Chileno Mountain Hostel of the absence of their companion, who alerted the search and rescue operations team at Las Torres Patagonia.
Two search teams were formed, the Alpha team moving towards the Refugio Chileno trail, and the Beta team towards the Cuernos sector in order to track any possible detours or points along the route that the hiker may have taken.
After half an hour of walking, the Beta team managed to find the missing person and applied first aid procedures. The American had sprained his right ankle, so first aid care and a compressive bandage were applied, and he was also fatigued and dehydrated. He was given water and protein bars.
After stabilizing the person, the Alpha and Beta team transferred him to the Central sector, carrying his backpack and other belongings.
Working with the administrators of the Chileno and Central Mountain Hostels, a tent was arranged at the campground so that he could rest.
Las Torres Patagonia’s CSS Manager, John Ojeda, thanked the team for “the dedication of the park rangers and staff in challenging situations. This event highlights the importance of our search and rescue capabilities, as well as ongoing training in first aid and rescue in remote environments”.
The passenger, before leaving the premises, wrote a message to his rescuers stating that he had “never dreamed that a day like yesterday would happen (…), and you never think that it could be a thing that could happen to you”.
In these situations, at Las Torres Patagonia we strongly recommend coordinating trekking strategies, such as keeping the hiking group together, always carrying food such as cereal bars and fruit, always refilling the canteen or bottle with water, and being attentive to the trail schedules and daylight hours. Together, we can avoid accidents or risky situations that could endanger the health of park visitors.
