Argentine authorities rescued a 58-year-old Uruguayan man on Sunday who had been lost in the Andes Mountains for the past four months. But the story of human triumph took a dramatic turn when Chilean officials revealed he’s wanted for child sex abuse allegations, the Associated Press reported.
An official in the Chilean prosecutor’s office in Santiago confirmed that a warrant was issued for Raul Gomez Cincunegui’s arrest on April 22 for a child sex abuse investigation, just weeks before he embarked on his trip to Argentina.
Mr. Cincunegui, who suffers from heart and respiratory problems, was found at the Sardina mountain shelter on Sunday at an altitude of nearly 15,000 feet, Agence France Presse reported. He was then airlifted to Rawson Hospital in San Juan province.
“It’s a miracle,” said San Juan Gov. Jose Luis Gioja, according to the report. “I still cannot believe it. He came here and spoke by phone with his wife, his mother and daughter. He was very excited, though exhausted.”
Hospital chief of operations Victor Olmos said Mr. Cincunegui was recovering in the intensive care unit from dehydration and malnutrition, but he was otherwise in good health.
Mr. Cincunegui survived by eating sugar and raisins he had with him, as well as food stored in mountain shelters, according to a police report.
He was reported missing in May after his motorcycle broke down and he decided to cross the mountains on foot. He said he became disoriented after heavy snowfall and was left stranded at an altitude of 13,000 feet, AFP reported.
