Gold miner rescued from Corcovado National Park

A man who went missing more than a week ago while illegally mining gold inside the boundaries of the Osa Peninsula’s Corcovado National Park was rescued this week by officials from Costa Rica’s National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC).

Joel Cerdas Solórzano was reported missing on Jan. 23, according to a SINAC press release. Officials suspected that Cerdas, whose local nickname is “Pizote the gold miner,” had been panning for gold deep inside the park.

Three days later, a rescue team of government officials headed into the park guided by local miners. The team found a dehydrated and disoriented Cerdas in the park around 1:10 p.m.

Cerdas was covered in mosquito bites and had burned his bare feet. He told his rescuers that he had not eaten anything for 13 days before being rescued.