Published on Thursday, December 26, 2024
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

A male British tourist who went missing in Pico Blanco Mountain in San José has been found alive, Red Cross confirmed. 

According to Alejandro Molina, coordinator of the rescue operation, the unidentified tourist was reported missing on Wednesday, Dec. 25, at 3:40 p.m. after he separated from his group while hiking in the Ventolera area. 

Other hikers raised the alarm after realizing the man had not returned with the group following their Christmas Day trek.  

The search operation involved 15 rescuers and three Red Cross units. However, efforts were suspended around midnight due to worsening weather conditions. 

Rescue teams resumed their search at dawn on Thursday, and at approximately 7 a.m., they located the man alive.

He was suffering from hypothermia after spending more than 15 hours in the mountains, Molina reported. 

The rescue team stabilized his condition on-site, but the tourist declined to be taken to a medical facility after being escorted to safety.  

Last month, an aircraft crashed in the same Pico Blanco Mountain claiming the lives of five out of six people.  President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles paid a visit to Paola Amador-Segura, the only survivor of the fatal accident.

----------------
What have you heard about tourists missing while hiking in Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com