Missing boy found after overnight mountain search

Emergency crews in Catalonia have found a 13-year-old boy who went missing during a scout excursion in the Coll de Banyuls area, near Rabós in the Alt Empordà.

Bombers de la Generalitat said on Sunday morning that the boy had been located after a large overnight search involving ground crews, drones, a dog unit and support from Mossos d’Esquadra.

According to the information released by the rescue services, a helicopter was due to carry out the evacuation from the mountain area where he was found.

Large search operation

The boy disappeared on Saturday while taking part in an outing with a scout group in the border area between Catalonia and France.

The search was concentrated around the Coll de Banyuls pass, a rugged mountain area frequently used by hikers and cyclists.

Bombers said specialist mountain rescuers from the GRAE unit were also involved in the operation, alongside the drones and canine teams deployed overnight.

The rescue effort comes amid a busy weekend for emergency services in the north-east of Spain, with mountain and rural searches often requiring coordinated work between firefighters and police.

Officials had not reported any further details about the boy’s condition at the time of the rescue announcement.