After six hours of continuous efforts in difficult terrain, the team of the Albanian Mountain Search and Rescue Service, under the Albanian Federation of Mountaineering and Mountain Tourism, managed to successfully extract the boy trapped in a 90-meter drop from the Osumi Canyon.
The operation was described as extremely difficult due to the steep terrain, low temperatures, and high river flows, but thanks to the professionalism and coordination of the team, the intervention was completed successfully.
The incident occurred a day before, the search operation for 42-year-old Ilir Kurti in the Osumi Canyons was accompanied by another serious incident. A 22-year-old from Berat, Xhuljano Kaloti, remained isolated in the waters of the Osumi River, while he was engaged in assisting RENEA forces in finding the missing man.
According to information from residents of the Skrapar area, the incident occurred during the search for the body of the 42-year-old, who is suspected of being thrown into the river on the evening of February 19. One of the rafts capsized due to the strong current of the water, causing the 22-year-old to get stuck between rocks in the area known as the "Third Strait", at the entrance to a cave.
For several hours, the young man remained in the icy water, while rescue efforts were hampered by the extreme terrain. Aerial rope access was also requested, while local residents tried to help by throwing ropes from a height. Firefighting efforts were impossible due to limited access.
The Osumi Canyon stretches for about 12 kilometers and reaches depths of up to 90 meters. In high flow conditions, interventions in this area are considered to be of maximum risk, especially for persons not trained in specialized rescue operations.
