site.btaStranded Tourists Rescued in Vitosha Mountain

Tourists lost in Vitosha mountain were rescued by the Mountain Rescue Service with the Bulgarian Red Cross on Saturday night, the Sofia Mountain Rescue Service said on its Facebook page. 

The report of the lost tourists was received on Saturday afternoon. The information was about a boy and a girl who were leaving Selimitsa peak to go to Cherni Vrah peak, but lost the trail due to fog and hurricane-force winds. 

A team of nine rescuers on duty was formed and a second group from Sofia was also dispatched to the scene.

Due to the snowfall, fallen trees had blocked the road, which prevented the vehicles of the rescue service to reach the starting point. "Thanks to the swift and prompt intervention of the emergency teams of Sofia Municipality, the road was cleared and the rescuers reached the starting point and a little later found the tourists behind rocks in the area of Selimitsa peak. 

The tourists were in the initial stage of hypothermia. Transport was organised and they were dropped off safely.

The Mountain Rescue Service added that the conditions in the mountain were difficult and there was not enough snow for snowmobiles to move, which further complicated the operation. They warned that winter has begun in the mountains and conditions require careful planning.