A Russian tourist fell ill with mountain sickness at an altitude of 4,464 meters in the Almaty region, and a helicopter was required for his rescue. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Incident Details
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the incident occurred during an ascent of the SSU peak (Sverdlovsk State University). In a group of six people — three men and three women — one participant suddenly felt unwell.
The tourists managed to contact rescuers via a Garmin satellite communicator and provided their exact coordinates.
Rescue Operation
Employees of the Monitoring and Operational Response Center of the Almaty Akimat, the Republican Rescue Squad "Barys," and a helicopter crew from Kazaviaspas JSC of the Ministry of Emergency Situations promptly responded.
"Rescuers evacuated a Russian citizen born in 1992. He was transported by an MES helicopter to the helipad of City Clinical Hospital No. 4, where he was handed over to doctors. The rest of the group refused evacuation and continued the route on their own," the MES reported.
Previous Incident
The day before, another group of Russian tourists in the Almaty region required the assistance of a rescue helicopter crew. They were evacuated from an altitude of 3,510 meters. After a rockfall in the mountains, a 25-year-old woman suffered a head injury, and a 32-year-old man fell and injured his arm. Due to bad weather, rescuers first had to reach the victims on foot, and then aviation was involved.
MES Warning
The MES reminded that before going on high-altitude routes, it is necessary to assess one's health condition in advance, consider weather conditions and acclimatization features, and carry reliable communication devices for emergencies.