Injured ski tourist rescued in Italy's Aosta Valley

The Belgian winter sports enthusiast is now safe, but the emergency services had quite a challenge on their hands to mount a significant rescue operation for the Belgian who encountered difficulties while ski touring in Italy's Aosta Valley.

The woman fell during her climb of the Aiguille de Tsanteleina (3,601 meters high), a mountain on the border between Italy and France. She injured her leg and was unable to continue alone.

Initially, a rescue helicopter was deployed, but due to poor visibility caused by the weather conditions, it was unable to reach the necessary altitude. The mountain rescuers then assembled a team of rescuers who attempted to reach the location of the injured Belgian on foot.

The rescue team included members of the specialised military unit 'Scuola alpina della Guardia di Finanza' and a doctor. They began the climb on touring skis and found the injured Belgian at an altitude of around 2,600 meters. Using an inflatable rescue sledge, they brought the woman down below the cloud cover, where a helicopter was able to pick her up and transport her to Umberto Parini hospital in the centre of Aosta city.

(FVDV - Source: AostaSera - Image: ©Unsplash)