The rescue of the runners of the night mountaineering race who were struck by lightning on Mount Falakro in Drama was carried out in adverse weather conditions, resulting in the death of one person
A 55-year-old died and another was injured by lightning just before their finish.
The president of the rescue team OFKATH, Christos Ramos, told ERT that "we were notified around 3.30 in the morning by the organizing committee that had the race about three people who are on the mountain and need help. They managed to approach around 8-8.30 am at the spot where the three runners were."
With them was another climber who developed hypothermia, as well as a woman. The female athlete managed to find a signal on her mobile phone and called her husband.[PP]With a difficult operation they were transported by helicopter, which reached the spot, to the airport of Chrysoupolis, in Kavala, and from there by ambulance of the EKAB to the hospital.
The athlete's husband stressed to ERT that "I personally am 52 years old, I have never seen such thunder in my life, such lightning. She was the first witness and now we are doing some preventive tests we are in the hospital and we will probably be discharged soon. The athlete I was coming down with called me as soon as they found a signal further down the canyon and I went with a pickup truck and a friend of mine and picked them up. Within half an hour we realized that there was a dead and seriously injured man."
The injured man's health condition is described as serious but stable.
The climbers had started the ascent of Falacru from the central square of the village of Pyrgoi to finish at the ski resort's shelter, passing the six highest peaks at an altitude of over 2.000 meters.
During the 12-hour race the weather deteriorated with low cloud cover and visibility, heavy rainfall and many thunderstorms.
Source: Proto Thema
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