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RESCUE

Two-year-old rescued from crevice after 14-hour ordeal

The girl had strayed from a hiking trail in the Aletsch region in the canton of Valais and fell into a six-metre hole.

Published: 6 October 2017 16:42 CEST
Two-year-old rescued from crevice after 14-hour ordeal
Photo: rdonar/Depositphotos

More than 100 rescue personnel worked for 14 hours to dig the girl out safely, according to reports in several Swiss dailies. 

“In a very short time we had to clear blocks of rock centimeter by centimeter,” said Matthias Lorenz, head of the Aletsch fire department, cited by Swiss public broadcaster RTS. “I'd never experienced such a rescue mission,” added the fireman department chief. 

The child and her family were apparently from German-speaking Switzerland and were on holiday in the alpine region, adds RTS.

According to a police spokesman cited by the paper, the girl was trapped in the hole from 11.45am to 2am the next morning, a more than 14-hour ordeal for the toddler. 

The child was not hurt, according to reports. Initial reports suggest the accident was not related to the recent landslides in Moosfluh. 

READ MORE: Missing Swiss hunter found dead in mountains near Brienz

 

RESCUE

Norwegian authorities tow stray cargo ship to safety

Norwegian maritime authorities said late Wednesday that they had begun towing a Dutch cargo ship that was drifting dangerously towards the coast after the crew were forced to abandon it.

Published: 8 April 2021 13:50 CEST
Norwegian authorities tow stray cargo ship to safety
JRRC South Norway / AFP

The 12-man crew of the “Eemslift Hendrika” was rescued Monday in a challenging two-stage operation after they issued a distress call while steaming from Bremerhaven in Germany to the Norwegian port of Kolvereid.

The cargo ship was carrying several smaller vessels, and began to list after high winds and huge waves displaced some of its cargo.

The “Eemslift Hendrika” also suffered an engine failure and started drifting towards the Norwegian coastline.

WATCH: Norwegian Rescue services evacuated crew from ship adrift at sea 

Eight of its crew members were airlifted by helicopter from the cargo ship’s deck by Norwegian rescue services but the last four had to jump into
the water to be plucked from the sea.

Video images showed strong waves rocking the ship as it listed to the starboard (right) side.

Towing operations were due to have begun Thursday, but the ship deviated from its predicted trajectory and drifted even closer towards the coast,
prompting maritime authorities to rush into action.

“The tow is now attached,” the Norwegian Coastal Administration(Kystverket) said on its website late Wednesday. “The risk of grounding has
been averted.”

On Thursday, the “Eemslift Hendrika” was being towed slowly towards the Norwegian port of Alesund and Kystverket said “no particular challenges” had been encountered overnight.

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