Six Irish people were flown from the highest mountain in Sweden this morning after stranded all night.
The head of the Swedish National Organization for Mountain Rescue told RTÉ that the group were not professional climbers and that some were wearing T-shirts and shorts.
However, Rickard Svedgisten said «everyone is fine» despite their ordeal.
Mr Svedjesten said the crew was unable to send a helicopter to rescue the group last night because it was too cloudy.
He said, “Last night it started at 9:30 p.m. The mountain rescue team got an emergency call.
“There were three climbers lost on the largest mountain in northern Sweden, Kebnekaise, but that information was wrong.
“They were not climbers. They had no equipment, and their clothing was very poor.
There were six people and they were about 30 years old.»
Mr Svedjesten said there was good mobile signal across the entire Swedish mountain range and they were able to stay in a hut on the mountain overnight.
The group was flown to the nearest road this morning and from there they were taken to a hospital in Kiruna.
Mr Svedjesten said snow begins in the area in late August and early September and temperatures can dip below zero.
He said everyone – both tourists and locals – was making the same mistake and recommended that people check in in advance and make the necessary preparations before heading out.
«There is still snow up there and there are even glaciers in that area. Last night, the temperature was below zero. It was -10 degrees Celsius, yes, really cold,» he said.
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