Search and rescue teams have found the four Israeli hikers who had lost their way while trekking in the Villarica Mountain region, near the town of Pucon in central Chile.
A local Cessna pilot was the first to identify the hikers near Mount Lenin; he proceeded to summon a chopper, which arrived at the scene and evacuated to travelers from the area two by two.
The hikers were identified as Guy Evron, 27, Itai Mashiah, 26, Einat Fekman, 31, and Ira Ravid, 27.
Ilan Weitzman, Israel's consul in Santiago, said the hikers are in good health and will apparently be transported to a crossing on the Chile-Argentina border, where they will be interrogated by police. They will then be taken back to the town of Pucon, in central Chile, he added.
The four hikers, a woman and three men, lost their way while trekking in the area of the Villarica Mountain near Pucon.
They left for their trip last Friday, and were scheduled to return to the hostel on Sunday. However, the trekkers failed to return or establish contact with the hostel, and the Israeli Foreign Ministry was only informed of the disappearance Wednesday.
The insurance companies of the missing travelers sent out search teams to Chile in a bid to locate them, and local rescue team that specializes in mountain terrain rescues also joined the search. The seekers were also aided by a chopper and local police plane.
Earlier Gideon Ukashi, an Israeli-Chilean who runs a tourist agency in Pucon, told Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth that the four Israelis insisted on going on the trek despite the fact the trail has not yet officially been opened for hikers this year.
'They must remain in exposed area'
"I estimate they lost their way already on the first day. I believe they will be able to survive in the park for up to 10 days, if they eat bugs," Ukashi said, adding that photos of the hikers were distributed in the area, in hope someone has seen them.
Mountain Villarica, where the trekkers went missing, is a 2,850 meters active volcano. The weather in the area is unstable, cold, foggy and rainy, but the trek is considered relatively 'mild.'
Sderot Deputy Mayor Shai Ben-Yaish, who ran a hostile for tourists in Pucon up until a few years ago, told Ynet before the hikers were found, “From what I understand, the four backpackers took food for eight days, which is more than enough. Furthermore, fresh water can be found in almost every corner, so water isn’t a problem.
First published: 09:41, 12.23.5