Andorran Firefighters Perform Three Helicopter Rescues for Hikers and Biker

Andorran firefighters carried out three helicopter rescues over the weekend for injured hikers and a biker in remote terrain, airlifting all three to Nostra Senyora de Meritxell Hospital with injuries described as non-severe.

The final operation took place around 2:30 a.m. Monday in the Aixàs area of Sant Julià de Lòria. A 70-year-old man descending a trail lost his way, became entangled in dense brush near a river, fell, twisted his ankle, and suffered a blow to the head. Though oriented and able to provide rescuers with his precise location, he could not continue. Firefighters deployed a night-flying helicopter and mountain rescue teams, who quickly located and evacuated him. The shift chief reported the injuries were not serious but had left him immobile. Hospital staff confirmed they posed no immediate threat.

The weekend's earlier incidents occurred Saturday. At 11:30 a.m., a 51-year-old man twisted his ankle on rocky scree between Port del Rat and Cap de la Costa Grande, near Arcalís on the French border. The shift chief assessed signs of a possible joint fracture in the difficult terrain, prompting a helicopter evacuation to the hospital.

Later that day at 4:26 p.m., a 17-year-old crashed on a circuit at Pal Bike Park in La Massana, sustaining multiple injuries described as politraumatismes. Rescuers again used a helicopter from the inaccessible site to transfer him for care.

Hospital sources emphasized that none of the cases involved life-threatening conditions. The rescues highlight the challenges of emergency operations across Andorra's mountainous hiking and biking areas.