2024-02-13 22:19:46
The Greek tourists, who were snowboarding and skiing in the area of ”Markudzhik” 3, most likely caused the avalanche themselves. When it fell, two of them managed to get out of the trap, but the third died under the snow. According to the rescuers, none of the group had an avalanche device. The action lasted more than five hours.
Jerry is an Indian who works as a mountain guide in the Himalayas. Came to Bulgaria as a tourist. Yesterday around noon he went up to the area of ”Markujik”. There he met a Greek group of snowboarders and skiers.
“New snow had fallen during the night. I wanted to get to “Markujik 3″ avoiding the avalanche danger zones. I met a Greek group in the area. They got excited, it’s not every day you see an Indian in the mountains, we had fun,” he began.
Jerry then went down to Hawkeye. However, the Greeks remained in the area of ”Markujik 3″. He says that they were not prepared, as they did not have an avalanche device and a shovel.
“The avalanche device receives and sends signals. It can save your life if you are with a partner in the mountains. It is always attached to the body. When you pick up a signal and you are a meter away from it, you need to find out in the fastest way if there is a body under you,” he explained.
He suspects that the fate of the people in the Greek group would have been different if they had followed him to Yastrebets. “They just had to prepare. They would all be alive if they had my devices. It is clearly indicated on the map that they are in an avalanche danger zone. You go there at your own risk,” Jerry was quoted as saying by NOVA.
The signal about the falling avalanche was received around 14:00. On the spot, the rescuers saw that two of the group had dug themselves out. Their friend – Momtsis Konstantinos, however, remained under the sleeper.
“It was buried about 1.60 – 1.80 deep. The action lasted about five hours. If this person had an avalanche device, it probably would have happened faster and possibly it would not have reached the fatal end,” explained Angel Kerkelev from PSS-Borovets.
Four rescue dogs are involved in the search for the man. One of them is Max, who has experience in stocks after the earthquakes in Turkey. “Max’s task was to catch a scent coming out of the snow. But it was very difficult, the snow was very hard,” stated Georgi Balabanov.
According to the director of the Mountain Rescue Service, it is entirely possible that the Greeks themselves caused the avalanche. “The conditions are such that it is difficult to judge, but it was probably caused by a person,” explained Emil Neshev.
Against this background, the Bulgarian Avalanche Association warns – the danger of avalanches remains high. “After a long dry spell, with heavy rain or strong winds, avalanches are likely. We can’t rely on luck in the mountains,” said a tourist.