A minor cyclist was rescued on Wednesday in Luarca (municipality of Valdés, Asturias) after falling at the espigón de la primera playa de Luarca and flown by rescue helicopter to the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA) in Oviedo . According to the authorities, the helicopter reached the hospital at 12:19.
According to the emergency coordination centre, the emergency call was received at 10:45 in the Centro de Coordinación de Emergencias . The report said that a girl had fallen in the area of the sea defences between the beaches and sustained injuries. Teams from the Servicio de Emergencias del Principado de Asturias (SEPA) were dispatched from the Valdés base, while the emergency service SAMU alerted medical staff and land-based rescue units; the Grupo de Rescate was sent to the scene in the medically equipped helicopter.
At the scene, the emergency teams secured the accident site, as the rising tide made access difficult. Firefighters first immobilised the injured girl with a cervical collar and moved her to a safe area above the breakwater. The medical team on site stabilised the patient before she was prepared for air transport. The helicopter then evacuated her to the HUCA.
The authorities had given no details about the nature or severity of the injuries by early afternoon. The services involved said the minor had been handed over in a stable condition after receiving initial treatment. Her identity and exact age were not disclosed for privacy reasons.
The area around the breakwater is considered challenging terrain in rough seas and at high tide. Coastal rescue operations in Asturias often require close coordination between land and air teams because conditions change rapidly. This operation demonstrates the coordinated work of SEPA, SAMU and the Grupo de Rescate, as provided for in the region in accidents at beaches and port facilities.
The municipality of Valdés and the town of Luarca typically see increased visitor numbers at beaches and promenades during the summer months. In this context, the emergency coordination centre regularly advises people to use designated paths and to keep away from sea defences and breakwaters when surfaces are wet or waves are high.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).