Palermo rock climber falls 20 meters while scaling Monte Pellegrino: injured and rescued

Last Updated: March 17, 2024

Palermo, rocciatore fa un volo di 20 metri mentre scala Monte Pellegrino: ferito e soccorso

The Sicilian Alpine and Speleological Rescue technicians intervened this morning at Monte Pellegrino, in Palermo, to rescue a climber who was seriously injured after violently hitting against the rock wall while climbing the mountain.

The rock climber, a 45-year-old from Monreale, was climbing with a group of friends in the area of Rocca dello Schiavo, where there are dozens of climbing routes. In particular, he was on a pitch of about 30 meters, attached to a rope with a harness and with a partner belaying him from below. Suddenly, for reasons still under investigation, he lost his grip and fell from a height of about 20 meters, hitting the wall and suffering suspected head and spinal injuries.

Rescue efforts immediately went into action: his companions lowered him to the ground slowly with the rope he was attached to and called the emergency number (112). The operations center notified the 118 emergency services, which in turn requested the intervention of the Sicilian Alpine and Speleological Rescue. In a few minutes, two teams from the Sass with their own medical personnel reached the site of the incident. In the presence of a 118 doctor, the injured climber was stabilized, loaded onto a stretcher, and transported on foot to the road where an ambulance from the 118 was waiting to transfer him to the nearby Villa Sofia hospital.