After yet another cliff rescue costing thousands of euros, an official source has said ‘enough is enough’. Holidaymakers whose idiotic behaviour leads to disasters in which they have to be rescued may end up footing hefty bills.
The warning came from the ports commander of Cascais, after a complicated rescue mission involving a Spanish tourist who had climbed over safety barriers in order to take a selfie at well-known beauty spot Boca do Inferno (Mouth of Hell).
The 44-year-old victim had to be airlifted to Lisbon’s trauma centre at Santa Maria Hospital after falling 15 metres.
His rescue involved firemen, maritime police, the air force and INEM rescue workers.
A total of 30 specialists became involved, while the operation of a Merlin EH101 helicopter alone cost “close to €9,000”, reports national tabloid Correio da Manhã.
“At worst, the Spanish tourist could be faced with a fine of anything up to €1,000 if it can be proved that his behaviour was negligent,” says the paper.
Cascais ports authority has simply confirmed that “the case is being investigated”, and the injured tourist still has to be questioned.
The man fell on Wednesday evening after “climbing a wall, and failing to respect signs that were posted in the area, prohibiting access beyond the safety barriers”, explains CM.
PHOTO: One of many cliff rescues that Portugal’s maritime authority has been called out to during summer months.
