A dramatic rescue operation conducted by the Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue (TOPR) in the Polish Tatra Mountains. The incident occurred when two men abandoned their female partners during a mountain hike towards the Krzyżne Pass. The men, apparently due to the slower pace of their partners, decided to continue the trek at a faster pace, leaving the women behind. – Interia reports.
The rescue operation began late on Monday evening and concluded on Tuesday morning around 6:30 am. The partners of the missing women alerted the TOPR from a shelter in the Five Polish Ponds area, after they were unable to contact the women and ascertain their location.
The rescuers were informed that the women were not prepared for night-time hiking in winter conditions, which are currently present in the Polish Tatra Mountains. It was reported that from an altitude of about 1600 meters above sea level, there was a thin layer of fresh snow, with icy conditions making it very slippery. The Krzyżne Pass, where the women were headed, is located at an altitude of 2212 meters above sea level, and the women did not have winter equipment or any additional source of light.
Three groups of rescuers were dispatched from the central station to search for the women along the trail leading from Murowaniec to the Krzyżne Pass and further towards the valley of the Five Polish Ponds. The missing women were found around 3 am near the Pańszczycka Shelter under the pass. After warming up, the women were escorted to the Murowaniec shelter and then transported by car to Zakopane.
Rescue services appeal to tourists planning to venture into the Tatra Mountains to use common sense, plan their trips according to the prevailing conditions, and consider the physical capabilities of all participants.
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