A 59-year-old British citizen was involved in an incident while walking near Frecha da Mizarela in the parish of Cabreiros and Albergaria da Serra, Aveiro district, resulting in a fall down a slope.
“He was eventually airlifted to Maceda Air Base [in the municipality of Ovar] and from there transported to Hospital de Santa Maria da Feira,” a local authority source stated.
“From the air base to the hospital, he was taken by INEM ambulance. He is well and stable,” added José Gonçalves, commander of the Arouca Volunteer Firefighters.
The National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection reported the accident alert was issued at 15:27, leading to the dispatch of firefighters and INEM operatives who determined a helicopter rescue was necessary.
The aerial operation was initiated around 17:30, with Arouca Council justifying the decision due to the type of injury, specifically a fractured ankle, which made land rescue impractical.
“The fall was not from a great height — less than two meters — but he landed in a very challenging location to access, and considering the fracture, a ground rescue would have been extremely painful,” explained a source.
José Gonçalves confirmed the complexity of the rescue operations, noting that firefighters and INEM technicians remained with the injured party throughout, alongside his son, who accompanied him in Arouca.
The challenging terrain delayed rescue efforts, which involved 19 operatives, eight vehicles, and a helicopter by 21:00, with resources contributed by various emergency services.
