Hiker critically hurt in thirty-metre fall above Fusio

A hiker was seriously injured on Monday afternoon in the Vallemaggia. The man, aged 67 and a German national, fell around thirty metres.

The accident happened shortly after 4pm on the hiking path linking Fusio to Mogno, in the municipality of Lavizzara. Officers from the cantonal police and rescuers from Rega attended the scene.

After initial treatment on the ground the man was flown to hospital by helicopter. According to a first medical assessment he suffered very severe injuries and his life is in danger.

Circumstances under examination

The initial account of the incident was released by the cantonal police, who are establishing the circumstances of the fall.

The stretch involved links two hamlets of the Lavizzara, in the upper part of the valley. It is a route used during the summer season, when the flow of walkers into the higher valleys reaches its annual peak.

Operations of this kind depend on how quickly the alarm is raised and on whether the spot can be reached by helicopter. At altitude, visibility conditions and the position of the injured person determine how long the rescue takes and what manoeuvre is required.

The cantonal police have not released further details about how the fall happened. It has not been specified whether the man was walking alone or with others, nor who raised the alarm.

The age of the injured person and the distance from inhabited centres bear on how an operation of this kind is handled. Transport by helicopter cuts the time considerably compared with a recovery on foot, which on a mountain path can take hours.

No further information on the man's condition has been released so far. Updates will depend on his clinical progress and on the checks under way by investigators.