Etna rescue just an 'over-hyped' story

Italian news agencies yesterday reported that three Maltese were rescued from Mount Etna on Saturday evening after having been lost on the volcano in Sicily.

But according to Ryan Farrugia, who identified himself as the doctor of the Maltese group, "the whole story must be the result of an over-hyped leak from the Sicilian rescue services to the press".

He said the group of 17 Maltese were following a well-trodden path known as "pista altamontana" when one man twisted his knee after a fall. Since he was in considerable pain, he was picked up by a jeep and taken to a nearby hospital from where he was discharged an hour later.

The Italian reports said three men were lost for several hours and after an alarm was raised by mobile phone, a search was carried out by Italian rescue services who found the three near a shelter.

They added that one of the men, a 47-year-old, had suffered leg fractures from a fall and was hospitalised. Dr Farrugia insists that at no point was anyone lost or in danger. "The rest of the group proceeded with the trek as planned and are now in a hostel on Etna enjoying the evening," he said in a comment to timesofmalta.com.

The reports said the three men formed part of an expedition to the north face of the volcano.