The Guardia Civil, mountain-rescue team based in Granada rescued three women in three separate call outs on Sunday; two in Río Verde (Otivar) and the other in Cebollón (Arenas del Rey.

The first rescue took place in the Junta de Los Ríos in Otivar after a woman was injured coming down the waterfalls. She had twisted her ankle and was unable to walk and required assistance.

Her companions had phoned for help and the rescue team were able to coordinate with them to locate the victim. She had formed part of an organised group that was abseiling down the waterfalls.

The Guardia Civil arrived in their rescue helicopter, put her leg in splints and winched her out of the steep-sided ravine.

However, whilst they were busy doing this, they received news from their controller that there was another victim, just a little further down the river – a woman had fractured her knee and required assistance. So with the first woman aboard, they set off to look for the second woman.

Again a team member was lowered into the ravine, who immobilised her leg, and then winched her up into the helicopter. Only then did they set course for the main hospital in Granada, the PTS.

But that day was going to be a busy one because they had no sooner landed on the roof of the hospital when their controller told them to set course for the Cebollón in Arenas del Rey where another woman needed rescuing after breaking her ankle in the river.

Off they went, settting course for Arenas del Rey (which is next to the Pantano de Bermejales). After flying over the area to locate the victim and having found her, they immobilised her leg, threw her into the helicopter and returned to the PTS rooftop to deliver the patient.

All three victims were aged between 45 and 61 whilst the rescue team were aged considerably.

(News: Otivar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)