Paphos, Cyprus. The fire brigade rescued 26 hikers on Wednesday after they became trapped by rising water in the Avakas gorge in the Paphos district. Later the same day, firefighters rescued five more people trapped in the same gorge.
Rescue operations in Avakas gorge
The call for help was received at 1.13pm on Wednesday, and rescuers from Peyia fire station hoisted the hikers to safety using ropes and life jackets.
Another call followed at 4.20pm regarding five people trapped in the same gorge. Three people were pulled out of the rising water, while two others at a different part of the gorge were also brought out safely.
Fire brigade incident response
From 6am on Wednesday till 6am on Thursday, the fire brigade responded to 26 calls for help, including 13 fires, five weather-related incidents and two false alarms.
Have you been advised about safety measures for hiking in areas prone to rising water?