- 2023.12.09.
- Events, Kospallag, Nagy-hideg-hegy, Nagymaros, News, Rescue, Szokolya
- Börzsöny Speciális Mentők
The Börzsöny Mountain Rescue Service was alerted in the late afternoon by the Duty Officer of the Pest County Police that two hikers had lost their way in the Börzsöny Mountains. The on-duty mountain rescuer managed to establish contact with the hikers, who explained that they had started their hike from Nagy-hideg Mountain towards Kisinóc but got caught in the dark without headlamps and were unsure of the right direction. Their phone did not have an offline map, and it was not adequately charged.
As the initial call came through the emergency number 112, the GPS coordinates transmitted at the moment of the distress call were identified. It was determined that they were on the Yellow + trail near the Mária út (Mary's Trail). The mountain rescuer on duty instructed the hikers to stay where they were. Two mountain rescuers on foot from the base on Nagy-hideg Mountain set out to track them, while the service vehicle, coming from Kóspallag, started towards Kisinóc, taking a route suggested by the patrol officers of the Vác Police Department. Meanwhile, the communication with the distressed hikers was lost as their phone had run out of battery.
Due to the challenging terrain, the mountain rescue units arrived slowly at the scene, and they couldn't locate the distressed hikers at the given coordinates. The on-duty Börzsöny Mountain Rescue Service then requested assistance from the Nagymaros Volunteer Fire Department to expand the search to a larger area. However, on the unpaved road between Kisinóc and Érsék, the mountain rescue service's off-road vehicle encountered a off-road runner who provided useful information. According to their account, they had met the lost couple, gave them a headlamp, and guided them on the right path. Based on the timeline, the lost hikers started towards Kisinóc just 15 minutes before the arrival of the mountain rescuers, thus avoiding the on-foot rescue team. The region had such poor mobile network coverage that even the mountain rescue units could only communicate via satellite using Cat S75 phones.
The relative seeking help on foot from Kisinóc soon met the lost hikers, as did the arriving mountain rescuers and police units. The hikers were in good condition, did not require medical assistance, and, accompanied by their relatives in their own vehicle, were able to leave from Kisinóc.
Thanks to the off-road runner who guided and provided a headlamp to the lost hikers, as well as to the police and the Nagymaros Volunteer Fire Department for their assistance.
We continue to remind hikers to plan their Börzsöny hikes carefully and ensure they have appropriate equipment. For winter hiking tips in Börzsöny, please refer to our WINTER HIKING ADVICE.
