Despite the smoke, darkness and immediate danger, the three officers followed a barely audible sound and found two British hikers suffering burns to around 40 per cent of their bodies
Spain Expat Press
Amid the devastation caused by the Los Gallardos wildfire in the province of Almería, the rescue of two British hikers has emerged as an extraordinary story of courage, instinct and hope.
The British man and woman were found alive in a ravine near Bédar after being overtaken by the rapidly advancing flames. Both were only partially conscious and had suffered severe burns covering around 40 per cent of their bodies.
They were found by a three-man Guardia Civil team: Sergeant Pedro Barre and officers Rafael Zea and Manuel Moyano.
The officers had already searched the area. However, their experience and instinct led them to return for one final check.
As darkness fell, they shouted “Guardia Civil” and used whistles in the hope that anyone still alive might hear them.
Then they heard an extremely faint response from somewhere in the distance.
The sound was so weak and far away that it initially appeared to be nothing more than an echo. But the officers refused to ignore it.
They stopped, listened carefully and called out again. A short while later, another barely audible response came from the hillside.
What followed was an extraordinary act of bravery.
Despite the smoke, the difficult terrain and the continuing danger from the fire, the three officers moved towards the sound. They knew they might be putting their own lives at risk for something they could not even be certain they had heard.
Yet they did not turn back.
The officers continued shouting and using their whistles until they were able to identify the direction from which the response was coming. They then made their way down the steep slope and into the ravine.
There, they found the two British hikers alive but in a critical condition.
A rescue lasting more than two hours
The injured hikers were barely responsive and had suffered extensive burns. Given their condition, the fact that they had managed to answer the officers’ calls was remarkable in itself.
The rescue operation proved extremely difficult. Guardia Civil officers, firefighters and emergency medical teams worked for more than two hours to bring the two victims out of the ravine and reach a place where they could receive urgent treatment.
After being rescued, the hikers were immediately stabilised by emergency teams and initially taken to Torrecárdenas University Hospital in Almería.
Because of the seriousness of their injuries, they were later airlifted by helicopter to the specialist burns unit at Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville, where they received intensive medical care.
Both had suffered burns to around 40 per cent of their bodies. Later reports indicated that although their injuries remained serious, they were no longer believed to be in immediate danger.
A decision that saved two lives
The courage shown by those involved in the rescue is difficult to overstate.
The officers risked their own safety because of a weak, distant sound that could easily have been ignored or dismissed as an echo.
They entered an area marked by fire, smoke and unstable terrain without knowing whether they would find anyone alive — or whether the sound they had heard was real at all.
Their decision to leave nothing unchecked ultimately saved two lives.
In a wildfire that has claimed twelve lives and devastated thousands of hectares across Almería, the rescue has become one of the few moments of hope.
Had the Guardia Civil patrol not returned to the hillside for one final search, the faint response from the ravine might never have been heard.
Three officers chose to follow what seemed to be little more than a distant echo. At the end of it, they found two people still fighting to survive.
