Hovering on the rocks, under nothing but emptiness. The rescue operation carried out today around lunchtime by the Sappada Alpine Rescue on Monte Piana was complex. Two hunters, who had been inspecting an area without paths since morning, found themselves in difficulty, stuck in a very steep section with unstable rocks, snow, frozen ground and grass in an exposed position. They then contacted the rescuers of the Sappada station directly and this proceeded through the operations center to alert Sores.
Therefore, around 12 noon, the CNSAs station was mobilized, which intervened together with the regional air rescue service with an air rescue technician and the ground teams – three rescuers ready to assist. The area was that of Monte Piana, the south-western slope. The distress call came from two hunters, a sappadino from 1995 and a tolmezzino from 1969.
The recovery operation was very delicate because the two were, at a distance of a few meters from each other, both in exposed and dangerous positions. The helicopter rescue technician, loaded on board the aircraft together with another rescuer taken from the base, were alternately lowered with the winch a short distance from the place where the two requesting help were and had to prepare two safety stops to lower themselves from them, reach them and recover them in a place from which the air rescue could have embarked them.
One of the two hunters was now at the end of his strength anchored with only one foot to a precarious rock.