The body of a second snowplow driver has been found after an avalanche in Asturias (Spain) on New Year’s Day.
A search was launched after two snowplow operators were buried in snow. It occurred close to the port of San Isidro in Aller at around 3.30pm.
The body of one of the men was found at around 11.30pm on January 1. The recovery followed several hours of rescue operations involving the Guardia Civil and firefighters with canine units.
And this morning (Saturday, January 2), members of the Military Emergency Unit found the lifeless body of his colleague.
A 46-year-old man was also injured in the avalanche in Asturias. He broke a leg and several ribs. It’s believed he may have been trying to help the two victims.
La Braña hotel manager assists
The 46-year-old man was rescued by the manager of the nearby La Braña hotel. He said he received a call from some males who were 50 meters ahead of the avalanche, “safe and secure” but trapped.
They said they had seen a specialized vehicle in front of them, at a small distance, but that “a very big dust cloud” arrived and they lost sight of it.
Cordero feared the worst so he and his brother got in their SUVs. After four kilometers on a road covered by “five feet of snow”, they found the white mass and a van on its side.
Below was the wounded 46-year-old man, “on the verge of fainting from the cold”.
He told them the two men had got out of the snowplow because the chimney that expels snow had got stuck minutes before the avalanche buried them in snow.
“Worthless” avalanche defenses
The hotel manager said residents have been fighting for 20 years for improvements on the road to tackle the “terrible conditions” in the winter, arguing the avalanche barriers in the area are “worthless”.
2 January 2021 @ 11:31
