Several cross-country skiers were evacuated from Urho Kekkonen National Park in early January due to extreme cold, frostbite, and exhaustion. Finnish Border Guard units used snowmobiles to reach stranded travelers, who were then transported by ambulance to Lapland Central Hospital or Ivalo Health Center. One solo skier called emergency services after severe frostbite left them unable to ski back from Vieriharju wilderness hut near Korvatunturi on January 4.
Border Guard Deputy Chief Lieutenant Colonel Mikko Kauppila told Iltalehti these incidents are rare but not unprecedented. During the same operation, guards encountered another exhausted skier who also required evacuation. Temperatures in Savukoski plummeted to minus 38.8°C on January 3, reaching minus 39.2°C the following day. A third rescue occurred on January 7 near Raja-Jooseppi border station, where two skiers—one with frostbitten fingers—were found at Ylemmän Kiertämäjärvi hut after poor signal prevented further contact.
All four rescued in these January operations were Finnish citizens, unlike earlier New Year’s rescues involving foreign tourists. Kauppila emphasized that while such missions aren’t routine, they occur yearly. Metsähallitus has repeatedly warned winter hikers to prepare for temperatures between minus 30°C and minus 40°C, carry layered clothing, headlamps, backup power, and consider shorter routes during extreme cold.
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