Missing 70-year-old hiker found alive after five nights in Italian Alps

Disappearance in the Sant'Anna mountains

A 70-year-old woman originally from Argentera and residing in Cuneo went missing on Monday, 7 September 2026, during a solitary hike near Sant'Anna di Vinadio. She had set out toward the local sanctuary and the Sant'Anna alpine lakes but failed to return home by evening. Her family formally reported her disappearance to the Carabinieri station in Borgo San Dalmazzo on the afternoon of Tuesday, 8 September 2026. That report prompted emergency authorities in the province of Cuneo to organize an immediate mountain search operation. Teams faced rugged alpine topography and uncertain weather across several steep mountain sectors.

Deployment of multi-agency search resources

The five-day search brought together several Italian emergency services to comb the Maritime Alps. Personnel from the Piedmont Alpine and Speleological Rescue worked alongside the Alpine Rescue unit of the Guardia di Finanza, the Vigili del Fuoco, and the Carabinieri. Ground teams utilized specialized equipment to survey the territory, deploying search dogs and aerial drones across rocky terrain and forested gullies. Fire department helicopters provided aerial surveillance, while cave divers examined local alpine lakes to rule out drowning incidents.

The rescue service noted the determination required to continue operations across the difficult alpine environment.

“The tenacity and stubbornness of the rescuers were decisive, as they never stopped believing in the possibility of finding the woman alive despite the passage of days and the complexity of the terrain. The determination to continue the search led this morning to planning an additional and thorough sweep of the area's main routes and slopes.”

Discovery on the Passo di Tesina slope

On the morning of Saturday, 12 September 2026, rescue coordinators arranged a targeted ground sweep across key ridges and descent paths. A Drago helicopter from the Vigili del Fuoco transported search teams to high-altitude positions to begin systematic foot patrols down the mountainside. In the early afternoon, a joint team of alpine rescuers and Guardia di Finanza specialists spotted the missing hiker along the slope between Passo di Tesina and Bagni di Vinadio. She had survived five days and five nights exposed to mountain conditions. Rescuers found her conscious and responsive, though suffering from hypothermia after nearly a week outdoors.

Medical evacuation and hospital recovery

Following the initial sighting, the regional emergency medical helicopter service of Azienda Zero Piemonte reached the steep slope to provide emergency treatment. Medical personnel stabilized the hiker on site before hoisting her aboard the aircraft. She was flown directly to the hospital in Cuneo for further observation and medical care. Hospital staff admitted her under code green, confirming that her life was not in danger despite prolonged exposure. Authorities noted that it remained unconfirmed whether the woman had lost her bearings or suffered a minor fall during her initial hike.

The mountain rescue service credited inter-agency coordination for the survival of the hiker.

“The positive outcome of the operation represents the result of great synergy among all components of the rescue system, which shared information, expertise, personnel, and resources while working continuously toward a single goal.”