Last update - 00:00 14/04/2007
Searchers locate eight Israeli tourists missing in southern Chile
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Eight Israeli tourists and three others from different countries who failed to return three days ago from a walk in a southern Chile nature reserve were located Saturday evening.
The group failed to return from a hike through Puyehue National Park, some 1,000 km south of Santiago.
A Chilean Air Force helicopter dispatched as part of search efforts for the missing travelers located them in the park, and they were to be rescued in the coming hours.
There have been strong storms in the region over the past few days, and authorities evacuating tourists from the park had to wait for the weather to clear up before they could dispatch rescue helicopters.
In February, three Israelis were stranded at the park during a snow storm, but they were able to notify the authorities of their location, and were rescued two days later.
In December, three Israelis went missing in the same national park after losing their way in snow and fog.
Feared dead, the three were located by a helicopter pilot from an Israeli rescue team several days later.