Alpine Rescue teams rescue injured hiker in Pollino National Park

A 61-year-old hiker from Grottaglie sustained an ankle injury while walking on trail 951 in the Pietra Castello area of the Pollino National Park. The alarm was raised at 12:30 PM on August 30, prompting the Basilicata 118 Emergency Operations Center to alert the Alpine Rescue team.

The rescue operation required coordination between the Alpine Rescue, the 118 ambulance service, and the Carabinieri Forestali, who were needed to clear a passage along a forest road. Rescuers reached the hiker and his family using an off-road vehicle and then proceeded on foot. The injured man was placed in a stretcher and carried to the vehicle before being transferred to an ambulance near Lake Duglia.

The incident has highlighted local calls for improved mountain rescue resources, specifically the need for helicopters equipped with winches to speed up evacuations in the rugged terrain of Basilicata.