Voted Best
ISSUE NO. 1731
6 - 12 September 2018
Newspaper in Spain 2017 & 2018
COSTA DE ALMERÍA YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
Rock and a hard place OFFICERS of the Guardia Civil have rescued a 50-yearold man with the help of firefighters, who had become trapped in a canyon in Enix, Almeria. The alarm was raised on Sunday at 2.00pm when the area’s Communications Operations Centre received a notification of the stricken walker. After crossing several challenging and rocky routes, two Guardia Civil units and two firefighting teams found the man completely traumatised and in state of panic. Under the encouragement of the officers and with the practical assistance of the fire crews and their equipment, the man was eventually able
Credit: Guardia Civil
By Tom Woods
ROCKY ROAD: Rescue teams make their way to the stricken man. to make his way to safety. The hobby of canyoning is becoming increasingly popu-
US SENATOR Richard Blumenthal is co-sponsoring a bill that would ensure healthcare and other benefits for military veterans who suffered from radiation exposure in Spain. The men became ill after responding to a 1966 accident involving US hydrogen bombs, and Almeria was one of the areas affected. The Connecticut Democrat an-
lar in Spain, which boasts an ideally suited natural environment for the activity.
However, as with all outdoor pursuits, it is not without its dangers and all those who
A long time coming nounced the legislation this week and his co-sponsors are fellow Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Diane Feinstein of California. A Palomares Veterans Act of 2018 would acknowledge the service-related disability of many of the 1,600
military members who responded to the accident near Palomares, Almeria. Ailing veterans had sued the Department of Veterans Affairs as up until now they have been denied these benefits by the government. Palomares was covered in ra-
take on canyoning excursions are advised to be well prepared and physically fit.
dioactive debris following a mid-air collision of two American planes in 1966, one of which was carrying four nuclear bombs. Diego Clemente, Almeria’s representative in the Congress of Deputies, has previously urged the Spanish government to remove the radioactive debris itself and not wait for the US which has been slow to act.
The terrain can be unforgiving, weather unpredictable, and there are no safety nets out in the wild. Given the lack of mobile phone coverage, rescue services suggest that canyoning groups should be at least three people strong. Appropriate waterproof clothing should be worn, along with sturdy footwear, a helmet, harness, ropes, thermal blanket and whistle. A signal code should also be established between members of the group to communicate in areas of intense noise eg waterfalls.