Rescue Operation Launched for Stranded Tourists Near Tromsø’s Fjellheisen
TROMSØ, NORWAY – A rescue operation was initiated on Friday evening to assist two foreign tourists who had become stranded in the terrain north-east of Fjellheisen, near the sherpa trail on Storaksla. The incident was reported to the police around 9 p.m.
"We have two foreign tourists who are stuck in the terrain around Storaksla," confirmed Robin Åsheim Lindberg, operations chief at the Troms police district. "One of the individuals is stuck in the snow. We have called out Norwegian People’s Aid (Norsk Folkehjelp) and Norwegian Rescue Dogs."
Responding quickly, a team of 11 personnel from Norsk Folkehjelp, along with a helper from Norwegian Rescue Dogs, were dispatched. The alert was raised at 8:12 p.m., and the rescue team departed from the upper station of Fjellheisen at 8:55 p.m.
Ole Morten Isaksen, duty leader at Norsk Folkehjelp, praised the swift response, "We had a good response time."
The rescue operation faced challenging conditions, with the potential for avalanches in the mountainside. The annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display by Fjellfyrverkeriet had to be postponed due to these hazardous conditions.
Odd Harald Johansen, chief sanit Tee at the scene, shared the critical details, "There’s an avalanche risk level of 3, advising us to avoid avalanche terrain. We have our team equipped with avalanche gear, and we’re making continuous assessments regarding their safety and the tourists’ positions. The tourists are cold and stuck in the snow, but we know their location and are on our way to them. The conditions are quite tough, and the whole area around Fjellheisen is avalanche territory, so it’s crucial that we ensure the safety of both the tourists and our team."
However, at 9:50 p.m., the rescue operation was temporarily suspended when it was discovered that the tourists had managed to descend on their own.
In a later update, Lindberg confirmed that the tourists had safely made their way down the mountain. "The tourists managed to get down on their own. Both are doing well," he reported.
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