The man went to the mountains on Friday (December 20), the family could not contact him. The Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) reported on this on its official website.
The missing tourist went to the Ďurková shelter on Friday afternoon, after spending the night in the locality, he planned to do a hike the next day. He was supposed to return home on Saturday (December 21), but his wife was unable to contact him and he did not return home until late at night. Therefore, the woman contacted the mountain rescuers in the early hours of the morning on Sunday.
The search for the 41-year-old man started on Sunday morning. The police found his car parked in the village of Jasenie. The rescuers were unable to contact the cottage or the employees of the cozy Ďurková, however, the police found that the man was still in the area through the location of the tourist’s mobile phone.
“A group of rescuers from Bystra went to the field, and HZS drone operators with a mobile device to search for mobile phones were also contacted. Considering the possibility of accidental hypothermia in the missing person, the ECMO workplace was also activated. After more than two hours, the man called his wife and also replied to the text message sent by the operator that he was fine and stayed asleep in the shelter,” the HZS explained, adding that the search operation was subsequently terminated.
Mountain rescuers strongly appeal to mountain visitors to behave responsibly and to inform their loved ones in case of a change in their plans. In this way, it is possible to prevent unnecessary interventions by rescue services or endangering rescuers and people who may really need their help at that time.
