Tom Ewart Smith
DRAMATIC footage has been released by Catalonia’s Generalitat force, showing the rescue of a climber in Lleida.
On Saturday afternoon, a MAER helicopter, a GRAE specialized unit, a SEM doctor, and two ground support teams were deployed to extract a stranded man.
The climber, who has not been named, required emergency assistance after injuring his foot while climbing the Wild Planet route in the Roca dels Arcs area of Vilanova de Meia (Lleida).
Firefighters were alerted about the incident at 3:20 PM, prompting the immediate activation of emergency services.
The chaotic nature of the situation is evident in the footage, which shows rescue specialists descending from the helicopter while strong winds swirled around below.
The injured climber, who was accompanied by a fellow climber, was stuck on a vertical rock face, making the operation extremely challenging.
Fortunately, the rescue was completed successfully without further incident.
The man was treated on-site before being transported to the Arnau de Vilanova Hospital in Lleida, while his companion returned to the parking area.
Vilanova de Meia is a popular destination for thrill-seekers in Spain, known for its towering limestone walls that offer a significant challenge.
The Roca dels Arcs routes have been described as ‘serious undertakings’ and are ‘often undergraded.’
This means that climbers may underestimate the difficulty of the climbs, leading to incidents like this one.
