A great scare took place in Vallespir between the end of the day of Friday 29 and this Saturday, November 30, 2024. A man, aged 65, missing was searched all night by the gendarmes of the Céret brigade.
It all started in the early evening of Friday, November 29, when a resident of Céret called the police for help. Her husband, who had dropped her off at his workplace in Perpignan at midday, did not come to pick her up in the evening, around 8:30 p.m., as agreed. After an hour of waiting, she informed the police. Her husband, accustomed to escapades in the forest, had told her that he would leave, during the day, in search of porcini mushrooms near Perthus and the town of Les Cluses.
Very quickly, the soldiers discovered the missing person's car in this sector, on the Col de l'Ouillat road. A cell phone, water and food had been left in the vehicle. A very large device was deployed to try to find the sixty-year-old. A dozen gendarmes, a dog team with their Malinois from Lunel (Hérault) and firefighters equipped with a drone with a thermal camera were mobilized. Despite searching until 4 a.m., the man could not be found. This Saturday morning, a helicopter with two soldiers from the high mountain gendarmerie platoon on board flew over the area. A Saint-Hubert dog, sent from Salon-de-Provence, roamed the forest on foot.
But at 9 a.m., the man reappeared on his own. He said he picked so many mushrooms that his bag gave way. When he finished collecting his loot, he stood up and found himself disoriented. Night quickly fell. Accustomed to the forests and warmly covered, he preferred to sleep there. During the night, he saw the police headlights in the distance, but had nothing to signal his presence.
The gendarmerie takes the opportunity to remind people that it is always better to go mushrooming in the morning. Before going into the forest, remember to bring a telephone, water, food, warm clothes and a whistle or lamp.
