Two Israeli hikers were successfully rescued Tuesday after they were trapped on a mountain in a blizzard on the Russian-Mongolian border.
Along with the Israelis, two Russian hikers were also caught out in the storm, which hit the group Tuesday morning on a trail about 2200 meters (6,600 feet) above sea level.
The hikers sent out a distress call on their satellite phone and reached the Magnus company, which provides evacuation services to Israelis when they’re abroad. Magnus teams are on call to carry out policies issued by five leading Israeli insurance companies that offer its services. Founded to provide Israeli travelers and their families with solutions in case of loss of contact and emergency while abroad, Magnus teams plan and launch skilled rescue operations at short notice.
Israeli consul in Russia Jacob Rosh was in phone contact with Russian authorities to seek their assistance in the rescue effort.
Local rescue teams were dispatched to the area to bail out the hikers, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nachshon. They arrived just in time; the group was facing rain mixed with snow, the temperature was 10 degrees and they were running low on fuel for their propane burner.
JNi Media contributed to this article.