A 25-year-old man from Catalonia lost his life after slipping from an unseen drop along the El Cares route, about four kilometers from Caín in the Cabrales area near the León border. He had been trekking this path with his 56-year-old father when both deviated from the marked trail along the Cares path and misjudged their positions. The young climber tumbled into a steep, inaccessible section, with an estimated drop of around 60 meters. His father heard a cry and saw the fall, but the area lacked mobile coverage, delaying an immediate call for help.
Rescue teams later brought the father to Caín as part of the response. Marino Perez Cuevas, the local chief, described the aftermath as devastating. The younger climber’s body was recovered from the rugged terrain by the SEPA Rescue Group, aided by an Asturias Fire Brigade helicopter, and transported to Caín for processing. The incident occurred in a zone that proved extremely difficult to access, requiring crane-assisted extraction to reach the victim.
Two cranes with a combined 54-meter cable were deployed to reach the spot, challenging the operational limits of the firefighting aircraft involved. A firefighter-rescuer and a medical-rescuer remained near the scene to confirm the fatality. The body remained in the rough terrain while rescue teams prepared for extraction, underscoring the challenges posed by the terrain and weather conditions. All actions were coordinated through the regional emergency command center as part of a unified response plan.
The command center awaited GREIM units from Sabero in León to arrive for the final removal of the body. Given the terrain, crane-assisted operations were carried out with support from a SEPA aircraft. Earlier, the father had attempted to reach his son and was rescued via crane contact as part of the coordinated response.
Visual references within the report include a section titled Graph of the fatal accident at Cares, which provides a graphic depiction of the incident. The Emergency Coordination Center of 112 Asturias received the initial notice at 18:09, relayed from 112 Castilla y León, with reports indicating that a person might have jumped onto the road and a companion had attempted to reach the fall site. This information helped mobilize the emergency response and coordinate resources. The timeline and operational details are drawn from official statements and incident logs provided by regional authorities [citation].
SEPA Room 112 activated the Rescue Group by medical helicopter and arranged for firefighters from Llanes and Cangas de Onís to stand by in case weather conditions hindered aerial access. At 19:34, authorities confirmed the evacuation of one person to Caín. The medic-rescuer and firefighter-rescuer who had remained at the scene were located nearby, and the operation was halted once death was confirmed. The Asturias Fire Brigade, mobilized by land, was later stood down.
Following the death confirmation, the Civil Guard activated GREIM from Sabero to assist with the body extraction. After obtaining the necessary authorization, the Rescue Group conducted the operation with a SEPA medicalized helicopter and returned to its base at La Morgal. In the aftermath, the mayor of Caín criticized the region’s mobile coverage gap, noting that limited connectivity can severely delay emergency assistance. In this incident, the injured party had apparently strayed from the designated route, complicating rescue efforts.
Officials emphasized that terrain and weather played critical roles in this difficult operation, with authorities noting that swift communication can save precious minutes in emergencies. The incident highlights the risk faced by hikers and climbers on popular routes when trails diverge from marked paths and access remains challenging in remote locations. The report confirms that rigorous coordination between mountain rescue teams, aviation units, and local authorities was essential to manage and resolve the situation as safely as possible [citation].
In summary, the sequence of events reflects a strenuous rescue effort conducted under harsh conditions, showing how quickly a routine trek can become life-threatening when weather and terrain converge. The tragedy underscores the importance of staying on marked routes, carrying reliable communication devices, and understanding the limitations of rescue operations in rugged landscapes. The emergency response timeline and operational details are compiled from official statements and incident logs provided by regional authorities [citation].