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Hikers rescued from Swedish mountain in snow and fog

TT/The Local
TT/The Local - [email protected]
Hikers rescued from Swedish mountain in snow and fog
File photo: Stian Lysberg Solum/AP/TT

Police rescuers have brought down four hikers stranded at the top of Sweden’s Kebnekaise mountain.

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The group, which had called for help from a cabin at the top of the mountain, was assisted by a helicopter and on-foot rescuers.

“It is full on winter on the mountain this year,” police officer Börje Öhman told news agency TT.

Difficult weather conditions with snow and fog made it impossible for rescuers to reach the four, who were at the peak of the 2,097 metre high mountain, by helicopter.

Instead, rescuers walked up the last section of the mountain to escort the group to safety.

Kebnekaise, located in northern Lapland, is Sweden's highest mountain.

The climbers had been stranded in a cabin near the mountain’s peak since Saturday night.

“They will not need any medical attention according to our assessments. Getting them into warm and dry clothes will be enough,” Öhman said.

Police were alerted that the group was in difficulty at 3am on Sunday. The group was “wet and freezing and needs to be brought down,” according to the report.

“If you go hiking in the Swedish mountains you should always be prepared for at least one day longer than you expect to be there. This means extra clothes, food and a source of heat,” Öhman told TT.

READ ALSO: Kebnekaise: How I tamed Sweden's highest peak

The officer said that he advises all hikers to make proper preparations before heading into the Swedish mountains.

“Most of the rescues we carry out are due to accidents, and that can happen to anyone. But we also make a number of rescue efforts every year where we can see that people are poorly equipped and trained and overestimate their own ability,” he said.

READ ALSO: Multiple helicopters and a snowmobile make dramatic rescue from Sweden's highest mountain

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