Castel di Sasso - A Dutch tourist couple experienced moments of terror yesterday afternoon when they became trapped in a thick bramble thicket during a hike in the Trebulani Mountains, in the Vallata di Castel di Sasso area. A romantic adventure turned into a nightmare, resolved only thanks to a massive rescue effort.
It all started around 1:30 pm. The couple, he, a 63-year-old entrepreneur from Maastricht, and she, a 60-year-old doctor from Amsterdam , were on holiday in the Caserta area to discover the natural beauty of the hinterland.
They got lost in the bush
While hiking, they encountered an unexpected event: they lost the main trail and, in an attempt to find their way back, they entered increasingly thick and impenetrable vegetation, made up of brambles and thorns that blocked them, preventing them from either continuing or turning back.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the entrepreneur did the right thing: he dialed 112, the emergency number. The call was promptly intercepted by the Carabinieri Operations Center in Capua.
The operator, a deputy sergeant, remained on the line with the two, calming them down and, most importantly, managing to obtain the precious GPS coordinates from their smartphones that allowed for precise geolocation.
The rescue plan was thus implemented: patrols from the Formicola Carabinieri Station and the Capua Company, teams from the Caserta Fire Brigade specializing in interventions on difficult terrain, the local Civil Protection agency, and a 118 ambulance were dispatched to the scene for possible medical assistance.
After the search, rescuers managed to reach the couple, visibly shaken but unharmed. Firefighters freed the couple from the brambles that held them captive. The emergency doctor then examined the couple on site: no serious injuries, just a few scratches and a heavy dose of adrenaline to digest. Hospitalization was not necessary.
Escorted by the Carabinieri, they were accompanied back to their car, parked in the Strangolagalli district, allowing them to return independently to the bed and breakfast where they were staying.
"We just wanted to go for a walk, see your green nature. We didn't think it would be so… wild," her husband jokes now, tragedy averted. "We are immensely grateful to everyone. From the operator on the phone who calmed us down, to the men who came to pick us up. They are true heroes."
An episode that could have been tragic, but instead ended for the best, thanks to the promptness of the tourists in calling for help and, above all, the effectiveness of the rescue machine which, in just a few hours, averted the worst in the heart of the province of Caserta.
It's incredible how a simple walk can turn into such a dangerous adventure. I hope tourists have learned from this experience and won't get lost again in the future. Nature can be beautiful, but it can also be cruel.