The Kosovo Mountain Search and Rescue Service (ShKShMK) received an urgent call on September 16 from their colleagues at the Albanian Mountain Search and Rescue Service – Tropojë station – regarding a tragic accident at Qafa e Valbonës.
A tourist from the Netherlands had fallen from a height of over 100 meters at a panoramic hill frequented by visitors, resulting in immediate death.
Following the notification, a ShKShMK team, in cooperation with the State Police, the National Agency for Emergency Management, and the Albanian Air Forces, headed to the site. Rescue teams, equipped with specialized gear, were transported by helicopter to the area and devised a plan to recover the body.
Rescuers set up rope safety systems to access the body and pulled it from a 140-meter vertical cliff.
Initially, airlift by helicopter had been planned, but darkness and adverse weather conditions, including dense fog, made this impossible. As a result, the body was evacuated on foot to a point near the source of the Valbona River, where the helicopter was able to land.
ShKShMK reported that the search and rescue operation lasted approximately 18 hours and concluded successfully.
Both ShKShMK and Albanian institutions thanked all rescuers for their dedication and professionalism while expressing condolences to the victim’s family.
