THREE hikers missing in the mountains of the province of Cádiz during the weekend's storms have been found alive and well in the Garganta Verde ravine in the Grazalema range.
Two of them, from Chiclana de la Frontera, were reported missing at 19.00 on Saturday night at the same time as the news broke that the storms had claimed the life of a motorcyclist in Jaén and that a Guardia Civil officer swept away by a river during a rescue operation was missing.
Both the Chiclana hikers are highly-experienced and were already in a safe place when found by the search party.
They heard the rescuers' whistles and shouted to them, enabling them to be traced.
A friend of theirs had raised the alarm when they did not return on Saturday evening, and then ended up spending the night and most of Sunday in the mountains.
Both are said to be in good health.
During the search, another walker, a British national living in Algodonales (Cádiz province) was found in the same place after spending all of Friday night in the open air.
Cádiz provincial fire brigade stresses that the Garganta Verde ravine is 'extremely dangerous' at the moment, since the torrential rain has caused its levels to rise and, along with the strong current, it is at risk of bursting its banks.
“Going out there in these conditions is pure negligence and puts hikers' and rescuers' lives at risk,” the fire brigade states.
Around 70 members of the rescue force were out in the Grazalema mountain range this weekend.
As yet, the Guardia Civil officer who vanished in Guilena, Sevilla remains missing.
