A major rescue operation was launched this afternoon at Levada do Castelejo, in Curral das Freiras, after a 19-year-old British tourist suffered a serious fall from an estimated height of 30 metres.
The alert was received by the Regional Command of Relief Operations at 12:18, according to the Regional Civil Protection Service. Initial reports indicated that the victim was a Polish tourist, but authorities later confirmed that the injured man is a 19-year-old British citizen.
Emergency teams arriving at the scene found the young man with a bleeding head wound and numbness in his lower limbs. Further assessments revealed that he had sustained several serious injuries, particularly to his head and spine.
A large-scale rescue effort was immediately mobilised, involving the Mountain Rescue Team of the Madeiran Volunteer Firefighters and the Forest Police. In total, three vehicles and 10 operatives were deployed to the remote pedestrian trail.
Given the severity of the injuries and the challenging terrain, authorities evaluated the possibility of using aerial support. A short time later, the Regional Civil Protection Service confirmed the activation of the H-35 helicopter to assist with the rescue operation and evacuation of the injured tourist.
The rescue operation was still ongoing at 16:00, with emergency services working to safely extract and transport the victim for urgent medical treatment.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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