Tragedy struck in southern Chile as a blizzard claimed the lives of a British woman.
Four other foreign tourists also died at the Torres del Paine nature reserve.
How could a sunny adventure turn deadly so fast?
Nine hikers went missing on Monday amid heavy snowfall and winds gusting up to 120mph.
Rescuers managed to bring four people back alive, but heartbreakingly, two Mexicans, two Germans, and the British woman did not survive.
José Antonio Ruiz, the presidential delegate for the Magallanes region, said authorities were working on “evacuation and consular procedures.”
They were preparing to airlift the bodies once the weather allowed.
Patagonia Rescue Efforts
The search involved 24 personnel, including police, soldiers, mountain rescue teams, and a search dog—but helicopters couldn’t fly in the fierce conditions.
Guillermo Ruiz, delegate for Ultima Esperanza province, explained the tourists had become lost near the park’s Los Perros camp.
The camp is reachable only by a grueling four- to five-hour trek from the nearest road.
Torres del Paine, famous for its glaciers, rivers, and jagged peaks, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year—367,000 in 2024 alone.
November is late spring, but Patagonia’s weather can be brutal and unpredictable.
President Gabriel Boric offered condolences, praising rescue teams who “worked tirelessly from the very beginning in the search, rescue, and now evacuation efforts.”
In a land of breathtaking beauty, this disaster is a chilling reminder: even paradise can be perilous.
