There were three call outs to rescue excursionist in Andalucía last weekend, two in the province of Málaga and one in Córdoba.

The first rescue mission we shall cover involved four people who had managed to get lost in an area known as La Concha in Instán.

The emergency number received a distress call just before 19.00h on Sunday. The emergency coordination centre despatched the fire service based in Marbella, as well as the Guardia Civil and the Policía Local from Instán.

The four victims, who had since divided into two groups, found themselves in a a very steep area with nightfall upon them. The fire service found two of them around 21.00h and they were escorted back but the other two were located in an area with sheer drops so it was necessary for Protección Civil to bring out more material (ropes & harnesses etc). In the end the victims were lowered down by rope and taken to the rescue base camp in the early hours of the morning.

Next we come to a man who required a helicopter in his rescue owing to a fall whilst out climbing in the Riogordo area of Málaga. This call out on Sunday was a little earlier than the previous one as the distress call was recorded a little before 17.00h The man had fallen and injured himself whilst attempting to scale the Tajo Gómez.

Apart from air ambulance (helicopter) the Guardia Civil mountain-rescue team was also needed as the ropes blocks and pulleys were needed to get a 54-year-old man from Fuengirola down where he had come to rest after falling. They then had to carry him by stretcher to where the helicopter waited. He was flown to Hospital Clínico in Málaga.

Meanwhile, over in the province of Córdoba, a 63-year-old woman and 5-year-old girl required rescuing Sunday afternoon, as well.

The both of them had fallen down a steep incline of some 20 metres in height whilst out walking in the area known as the Canteras de Santa Ana, near the city of Córdoba. The emergency service received a distress call just before noon. As you can see we have covered these rescues in reverse chronological order.

This time the Policía Nacional were called out, together with the fire service and the Policía Local, as well as a mobile-UCI ambulance (specially equipped with a paramedic or doctor onboard). Fortunately neither victim was seriously hurt.

(News: Andalucia)