Fascinating - when you look at Google maps for the area, about 45kms NW of Putaendo is an area that's deliberately obscured, at -32.259991,-70.497808
Looks like difficult country. smith -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Christopher Mc Donnell Sent: Thursday, 25 November 2010 2:28 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Aus-soaring] Long time retrieve/rescue Chilean Glider Pilot Found Alive After Crash SANTIAGO - Rescue teams on Wednesday found alive a pilot who had been missing since last weekend after his glider crashed near the town of Putaendo, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the Chilean capital, officials said. "We found Jose Auil alive, the glider pilot who has been missing since Sunday. Congratulations to the rescue personnel and to Jose for his endurance!!!" Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter said on Twitter. Jose Alberto Auil Petermann, a 46-year-old dental surgeon, took off on Sunday from the Vitacora Glider Club, in eastern Santiago, where he was scheduled to return after a six-hour flight. After losing contact with Auil and determining that he had not returned to Santiago, authorities launched a search around Putaendo in the Aconcagua Valley. Police officers, air force personnel and firefighters made up the rescue teams that on Wednesday located the aircraft about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of El Copin Hill. Auil, who has been a pilot for nine years, had written in Spanish on the roof of his plane: "I'm OK and am going downriver." This message enabled a helicopter to follow the watercourse until the crew spotted Auil, who had trekked quite some distance from the glider. The chopper immediately picked him up and took him to a Santiago hospital for a medical checkup. "He looked to be in very good shape," Putaendo fire chief Patricio Gallardo told state television, expressing great emotion at having successfully concluded the search and rescue operation. EFE
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