Firefighters Rope Down 45-Metre Ravine at Night to Recover Body of Man in Guatemala City

Guatemala City, Guatemala – Firefighters rappelled down a 45-metre ravine at night to recover the body of a man in Guatemala City.

Footage released by the Municipal Firefighters shows rescuers in red helmets and uniforms working on ropes on the steep, rocky slope in the dark, lit by headlamps, as they guide an orange rescue stretcher. Crews and onlookers are then seen gathered at the top, beside parked vehicles.

The firefighters said they found a man aged about 27 at the bottom of the ravine in the El Cerrito settlement, Zone 7, and paramedics confirmed he showed no vital signs.

"The man had multiple fractures and injuries. A motorcycle was found to one side. Due to the depth, the firefighters applied specialised techniques to recover the body, work that lasted about an hour," they wrote.