Veneto, Accidents in the mountains, appeal for prudence from President Zaia: "Respect and preparation are at stake for one's own safety and that of the rescuers".

Veneto, Accidents in the mountains, appeal for prudence from President Zaia: "Respect and preparation are at stake for your own safety and that of the rescuers".

“The mountains, in summer, constitute one of the most fascinating natural environments in the world but it is necessary to visit them safely learn to know it, respect it, treat it for what it is: a natural paradise, but also a risk for those who approach it without caution. In these cases the risk of accidents is high and the lives of hikers and rescuers are often put in danger. It happened again on the via ferrata Tomaselli, in the Cortina area. It happens frequently, and for this reason I ask all those who frequent the mountains in this part of July and August a heartfelt appeal for prudence so that the holiday can be spent in total serenity". It is the appeal that the President of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, addresses the mountain goers, after yet another case of two ill-equipped hikers who got stuck on a Dolomite via ferrata in Cortina, forcing rescuers to intervene for five hours to save them.

“Since May 1st, the Veneto Alpine Rescue Service has been providing assistance 283 people. Unfortunately they have been recorded in our mountains 16 victims and 50 seriously injured. But the figure of the 130 uninjured people who requested the intervention of the Alpine Rescue, often with the SUEM helicopter, is also striking. It is a clear indication that mountain activities are not always planned with due attention and prudence. You need respect and preparation to approach the peaks, also to avoid having to involve rescuers in missions that always have a risk component", adds the President. According to data from the Veneto Alpine Rescue, relating to this first part of summer, 20% of operations are due to incapacity. 8% of rescue interventions are instead caused by loss of orientation, another case that could easily be avoided by planning the itinerary better. This summer, falls cause 25% of Alpine Rescue interventions and illnesses cause 11%, also thanks to the heat of the last period. 53% of the people rescued are hikers, with less mountain experience. 14% of those recovered by the Alpine Rescue are instead engaged in via ferratas.

“The Alpine Rescue teams, but also the Sagf of the Guardia di Finanza – continues Zaia – are a reference for professionalism and dedication. I thank them for this, but I ask tourists and outdoor enthusiasts to also have respect for these men and women who always bring technical preparation, courage and altruism to the table. They are mountain angels ready to go beyond the imaginable, but you cannot ask them for miracles." “It is up to each of us – concludes Zaia – to approach the mountains in the right way: informing us well about the routes and difficulties that are inherent to it, asking the mountain guides and local people for information, paying great attention to the weather forecast, equipping themselves with appropriate clothing, with suitable footwear and everything needed to face difficult moments of the route, such as ropes and carabiners , and frequent and sudden changes in the weather that can cause temperatures to plummet in just a few minutes. It goes – he concludes – of the joy of a holiday, and of one's own safety and that of the rescuers".