A farmer who ventured on a nearby mountain would have almost frozen to death if not for the incredible dedication of rescuers who carried him by hand for two hours through a blizzard.
Emergency teams could only reach the man on foot and then walk back while carrying him on a stretcher for an hour and 40 minutes as wind and snow slowed them down.
Footage obtained by Newsflash shows responders moving Jorge Alonso, 56, to safety as they power through wind and snow.
The challenging operation was made all the more difficult by the harsh terrain and poor visibility.
It all began when Jorge, a farmer from Cabrales, Spain, ignored the increasingly worse weather to go check on his cattle.
Despite the oncoming storm, Jorge walked all the way up to the pasture where he reportedly keeps his cattle, some 800 metres above sea level.
But on his way there, he reportedly began experiencing heart attack symptoms.
Jorge’s brother, who remained at home, became concerned when Jorge did not return after a few hours and alerted emergency crews.
First responders rushed to the scene, but after finding the treacherous weather would not let them proceed with a helicopter, they had to walk to reach Jorge.
Upon arrival, rescuers wrapped Jorge in dry clothing and a thermal blanket as he began showing signs of hypothermia.
They also found he was having difficulty breathing and experiencing chest pain.
With no time to waste, they strapped him onto a stretcher and slowly started descending.
Eight firefighters and mountain rescue workers lowered Jorge towards an area that could be reached by ambulance.
Finally, he was put in an ambulance and transferred to a local hospital for treatment.
The emergency services later warned residents not to go out to the mountains on days with complicated weather.
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Story By: Simona Kitanovska, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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