CANAZEI. “The response of the rescuers was very fast”, these are the words of Alex Benetti, municipal councilor of Trento in the Democratic Party and former president of the Bondone districtwho with some friends helped the 31-year-old’s climbing companion who was hit by an avalanche and dragged into a crevasse on the Marmolada. After a complex operation, the freerider was transported to hospital in very serious conditions. “We hope that everything can go well. A huge thank you for the professionalism with which they work every day in the mountains.”
The accident occurred around 1.45pm today, Saturday 27 December. The two hikers were in the process of descending from Punta Rocca and they traveled a “traverse” at the height of Punta Penia when the snow fell (Article here).
A 31-year-old was swept away by the avalanche, which toppled him over a rock leap into a crevasse. The friend tried to call him for half an hour, without success, like this alerted the single emergency number. It was at that moment that Benetti with a group of fellow exiters met the young man in difficulty.
“He didn’t know exactly how to move and we immediately stopped to help him contact 112 and raise the alarm,” explains Benetti. “An action that anyone would have done. The response was very fast: in less than 15 minutes a helicopter from Trento was already in Marmolada, operational for the search for the missing person. We made ourselves available with shovels and shovels in case of need but there was no need and we assisted the boy, who we accompanied to the car.”
In the meantime, two come into action dog units – one from Cnsas Trentino, present on the basis of Helicopter Unit and one of the State Police stationed in Moena – and technicians of the SAlpino occurred at the Alta Fassa station and the Moena stationwho began the activity of “probing” the land.
The cleanup, which lasted several hours, involved the body of the avalanche and the bottom of the crevasse, with ten operators involved. The 31-year-old was spotted inside the crevasse, in a extremely deep point.
The helicopter the medical team disembarked by hoverwhile the technicians completed the very complicated extraction of the freerider, which was subsequently transported to the pitch in Canazei. From there the 31-year-old was transferred – in very serious conditions – to the Santa Chiara hospital in Trento.
“A truly important organizational machine. We have an efficient rescue service, capable and fast, an excellence that we often take for granted but which today has really made the difference. A huge thank you to the mountain rescue team for the professionalism with which they operate every day in the mountains. Now all we can do is hope for the boy’s recovery and that everything will go well”, concludes Benetti.
