Polish family with young children lost in Rethymno gorge, found safe by rescuers

A six-member Polish family with young children lost their way on Tuesday while walking through a gorge in southern Rethymno, Crete, according to Cretalive.

The family did not speak any English, which complicated communication with rescuers who mobilized as soon as the alarm was raised. Even though the group had difficulty giving their exact location, authorities said they were able to locate them with the help of the 112 emergency line.

Translators brought in to help

According to information cited by Cretalive, translators were eventually called in to assist with communication between the rescue teams and the family. Crete’s network of gorges draws hikers throughout the year, and search teams on the island have handled several similar incidents in recent weeks, including an operation to free eight workers trapped in the Samaria Gorge.

Before nightfall on Tuesday, the Polish tourists found their way out of the gorge safe and unharmed, Cretalive reported. The incident follows other recent cases involving foreign visitors on Crete’s trails, including a report that a German tourist fell off a cliff while hiking in Sfakia.