Difficult evacuation in the mountains Cévennes: aircraft were needed to reach the victim
In the mountains of Cévennes in the municipality of Saint-Roman-de-Codières, an evening walk by an elderly couple ended with a call to emergency services. The 75-year-old woman fell on a mountain trail and injured her knee, which made her unable to move independently.
The couple found themselves in a difficult-to-reach sector, where regular rescue teams could not reach. The situation was complicated by dusk and gradually deteriorating weather conditions. The emergency center was able to accurately determine the couple's coordinates using geolocation and immediately deployed specialized units.
The operation involved about fifteen firefighters, hazardous conditions rescue specialists (GRIMP), a search team with service dogs, drone operators, and a civil security helicopter Dragon 34.
The victim was hoisted onto the helicopter using a winch, after which an ambulance transported her to a clinic in the city of Ganges for examination. The woman's husband was safely walked back home by rescuers.
Context
The commune of Saint-Roman-de-Codières is located on the southern slopes of the Cévennes in the department of Gard, at the junction of limestone plateaus and slate highlands. Local hiking trails often follow old shepherd routes past prehistoric megaliths, in particular around the Col de la Pierre Plante.
The terrain of this part of the Cévennes is characterized by deep valleys, steep ridges and dense chestnut forests. Due to the remoteness of the hamlets and the difficult rocky slopes, ground travel is significantly slowed down at dusk, and access for rescue equipment directly to the mountain trails is extremely limited.