Update: The rescue mission ended after 10 hours and 40 minutes and involved the use of a helicopter, Salvamont Maramures announced in an update. Five of the Irish hikers were taken to the hospital in Borsa for medical investigations.

Initial story: Mountain rescue teams from Salvamont Maramures launched a rescue operation on Thursday morning, October 12, after being alerted that 11 Irish tourists got lost during a hike in Romania’s Rodnei Mountains.

“We managed to locate them, they are somewhere high on a peak towards the Weather Station, and they have been asked to stay there,” Salvamont Maramures said in a post on Facebook. Two teams of mountain rescuers were sent to their location.

The group left Pietroasa monastery on Wednesday morning but got lost on the mountain because of the dense fog, Salvamont Maramures said. The fog forced them to stay on the mountain overnight, and one of the hikers called for help at around 5:44 am this morning.

The tourists have food and water, the same source announced, but two have medical problems (they take medication for heart conditions).

At the time this story was published, the rescue operation was still ongoing.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Salvamont Maramures)