Israeli couple stranded in Romania rescued

Rescuers arrive at cabin where couple hides out from storm, drive them to safety

Ilana Curiel|Published: 09.23.13 , 12:31

"We've been going through some rough days," said an Israeli hiker who was stranded with his girlfriend in a blizzard in Romania while treking on its highest peak, Mount Moldoveanu.

After losing their way, the two, aged 26 and 29, sent a text message to their families asking for assistance. Contact with them was then lost.

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"We were having a really hard time and the rescuers had to face challenging circumstances," the man said. "They saved our lives," he added.

"We called the Romanian rescue services and they didn’t make it. We tried calling them, they answered, we gave them the details and they just didn’t show up."

The two were taken to a lodge run by Noam Avnon, who arrived with his friend to rescue the couple.

"We had a long day," Avnon said. "At 7 am I received a message from a jeep instructor I work with in Jordan and he told me they needed my help."

Avnon said he called a friend, packing up climbing equipment and food, before heading out to where the hikers were believed to be. "There was heavy fog. We couldn’t see anything and the temperatures were very low," he added.

After the couple had requested assistance, they holed up in a cabin on the mountain, where the rescuers eventually found them.

The rescuers and hikers then left the cabin, walking through the snow tied together with rope, until they reached the rescuers' jeep and drove to the lodge.