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Two Norwegian tourists and an alpine climber are stuck on Vågakallen in Lofoten. The latter must be seriously injured.
At 2 p.m., the Northern Norway Rescue Center can inform that the cloud cover at Vågekallen is steadily easing and that they are preparing to retrieve injured, splintered and finally climbers.
Sources at the scene tell NRK that they have observed the rescue helicopter earlier this morning which is said to have attempted to land.
Here the rescue helicopter circulates over the mountain.
Photo: Marie Staberg / NRK
A rock fall that has injured one of the rescue climbers
It was just before 8pm on Friday evening that HRS received a report that two hikers had become stuck and needed assistance at Vågakallen in Vågan municipality in Lofoten, according to HRS Northern Norway’s rescue manager, Tore Hongset.
Rescue manager in HRS Northern Norway, Tore Hongset.
Photo: Malin Nygård Solberg / NRK
Due to low cloud cover, it was not possible to get a rescue helicopter in. Alpine rescue group from Svolvær was therefore sent in.
During the night, there was a rockfall that injured one of the rescue climbers.
– Throughout the night there have been climbers from both Bodø and Svolvær alpine rescue group who have participated,
Hongset cannot say anything more about the condition of the injured.
Earlier today, rescue manager Rune Danielsen described the injury to the rescue climber as serious.
The two tourists are unharmed
The two Norwegian tourists, who were initially unscathed, are led down from the mountain by three rescue climbers.
– The plan is for them to be brought down to below the cloud cover so that they can either be retrieved by helicopter or go down completely if they are fit, says Hongset.
They were not originally on a climbing trip, but on a mountain trip when they were surprised by the weather and slippery roads. They therefore needed assistance to get back down.
– They are unharmed, but they are probably tired after having a long and cold night up on the mountain top.
The tourists must be adults who do not come from the region.
It was The Lofoten post office who first mentioned the two missing hikers.
Expect a rise in the cloud cover
In a press release, the Central Rescue Service writes that they expect to be cleared in the cloud cover and that a rescue helicopter can then be deployed. The helicopter is on the ground close to the mountain.
There are more than 10 rescue climbers from Svolvær and Bodø alpine rescue group involved in the operation, and HRS coordinates supply and reinforcement with more climbers throughout the day.
– There is a complex rescue operation underway. We have added more climbers and the rescue helicopter from Bodø is still involved in the incident, says Danielsen.
Vågakallen is located in Vågan municipality in Lofoten and, with its 943 meters above sea level, is a popular destination for many climbers from home and abroad.
– We are working on several solutions
The climbers are over 800 meters above sea level.
– We are working on several solutions. We have hopes that the cloud cover will lift, and then we have other solutions if it does not lift immediately.
– We work hard to make the best of the situation.
2023-07-15 12:14:01
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