Mountain Rescue Operation: Teams Locate And Evacuate Two Stranded Hikers In Chouf District Slopes

Beirut, Lebanon—Mountain rescue units deployed deep into the rugged wilderness of the Chouf District Thursday following emergency calls from a stranded hiking party. Two hikers had slipped off an established footpath, tumbling down a steep limestone escarpment into a dense ravine. Local civil defense operators picked up their faint mobile distress signal before battery power failed completely.

Fog rolled across the upper ridges as rescue coordinators mapped out coordinate grids for the search teams. Ground squads equipped with ropes, medical gear, and specialized tracking units mobilized from a staging point near the main nature reserve. Searchers navigated loose shale and thick brush as daylight began fading over the steep mountain slopes.

Rescuers located the injured pair clinging to a rocky ledge roughly two hundred meters below the main hiking trail. Both individuals suffered severe exhaustion, dehydration, and multiple extremity fractures from the initial fall down the cliffside. Paramedics descended the steep pitch using anchor lines to stabilize the victims before beginning the arduous extraction process.

Because the canyon floor prevented helicopter access, rescue workers had to haul the litters upward using a pulley and rope system. Every meter of vertical ascent required intense physical coordination among the exhausted civil defense volunteers. Other members of the hiking group, who had remained higher up the trail, assisted local guides in carrying medical supplies down the ridge.

The evacuation operation stretched well into the evening hours as temperatures dropped sharply across the mountain crests. Ambulances waited at the nearest forest access road with medical crews prepared to administer intravenous fluids and trauma care. The rescued hikers were transferred directly to a regional hospital for comprehensive orthopedic evaluation.

Local forestry officials reminded outdoor recreationists to check weather reports and carry satellite communication gear before attempting remote ridge trails. Trail safety committees have noted an uptick in late-season wilderness accidents as inexperienced visitors underestimate local topography. Search teams packed away their technical gear once the final support unit cleared the mountain staging area.

Hospital administrators confirmed that both rescued hikers are currently receiving treatment for trauma and exposure. Their conditions are stable, though orthopedic surgeons plan to operate on multiple bone fractures later this week. Rescue coordinators are debriefing field teams to review the tactical response timeline for future wilderness operations.