A 58-year-old Costa Rican hiker who had been missing for four days inside Chirripó National Park was found alive this morning, ending an extensive search across some of the most difficult mountain terrain here in Costa Rica. Reinaldo Pineda Lizano was found at approximately 8:05 a.m. in an area known as Las Morrenas, about 800 meters, or half a mile, away from the established trail.
Pineda had several injuries and showed signs of dehydration when rescuers reached him. He was conscious, alert and oriented, and officials described his condition as stable. Rescuers immediately began treating him at the scene while determining how to get him out of the remote mountain area.
Because Pineda was found well away from the main trail, crews must first carry him by stretcher to a location where a helicopter evacuation could be attempted if weather conditions allow. If an aerial evacuation is not possible, rescuers will have to carry him overland toward the park entrance, making the operation considerably longer and more difficult.
Pineda disappeared Monday after becoming separated from the group he was hiking with between Base Crestones and Cerro Chirripó. He had apparently moved ahead of his companions during the hike. When the rest of the group returned and realized he had not made it back, park personnel began searching and a larger rescue operation was activated.
The search expanded during the week as teams covered several areas of the park. By yesterday, about 45 people had been deployed as authorities increased the number of search routes and brought in specialized resources, including drones and search dogs. Conditions complicated the operation. Search crews encountered rain, strong winds, cold temperatures and difficult terrain in the high mountains.
A fresh team entered the park before dawn this morning and eighteen Red Cross rescuers were involved alongside National System of Conservation Areas personnel, local guides and others familiar with the mountain. Judicial Investigation Police personnel also joined the operation early this morning.
The breakthrough came shortly after 8 a.m., when rescuers found Pineda in the Las Morrenas sector. The place was significant because Las Morrenas had already been considered one of the priority areas during the search. Pineda’s discovery brings a successful end to a search that had drawn growing concern as each night passed in the high-altitude park.
Chirripó National Park is Costa Rica’s highest mountain and includes steep, remote terrain where weather can change quickly. Those conditions can make even established hiking routes demanding and complicate rescue operations when someone moves away from the marked trails.
For now, the operation has shifted from finding Pineda to getting him safely off the mountain and into medical care. As of this afternoon, authorities had not announced that his evacuation from the park had been completed.
