Morocco teacher found alive after missing in mountain region for 2 days

A young teacher who had been missing for two days in a mountainous area of Morocco was rescued on Tuesday.

Abdel al-Wafi al-Fadmi, 27, was found in the mountain range on the outskirts of Tounfit in the western Midelt province.

Moroccans on social media celebrated the news and praised the efforts of rescue teams who found the secondary school philosophy teacher.

صبيحة اليوم ،تم العثور على الاستاذ المختفي عبد الوافي الفضمي بجبل معسكر،بعد ان بقي عالقا يصارع الموت ليومين، لا يقوى على المشي بسبب البرد القارس والصقيع وكذا بسبب الجوع وتعرضه لكسر على مستوى الرجل ورضوض على مستوى الوجه.
شكرا للفرق الأمنية والمتطوعين الشجعان من أبناء المنطقة💕🙏 pic.twitter.com/n74qCloDb9

— المهرة المحظورة🐎 (@TifaTifatitifa1) December 27, 2022

Al-Fadmi, who reportedly got stuck after going hiking in the Maasker mountains, suffered fractures in one leg and both his hands, in addition to a head injury after becoming unconscious and falling, education official Odai Ramshon told local television Channel 2.

The official said however that Al-Fadmi’s good physique and experience in hiking helped him endure the freezing cold and fractured bones for two days.

Al-Fadmi had travelled alone to the highlands at midday on Sunday, which lies about two hours from Tounfit, Ramshon said.

"On his way back at around 5 pm (4 pm GMT), he slipped and fell from a height of about 10 metres, his head hitting the ground which caused him to lose consciousness, and when he woke up, he found himself unable to move, and his phone had no network," he explained.

Moroccan academic Khalid El Bekkari posted a picture on his Facebook page of Abdelaziz Al-Nasseri, one of the volunteers involved in the rescue operation, thanking him and his colleague for their courageous efforts in locating Al-Fadmi.

"When they found him in critical condition as the morning approached, after a night spent searching [for Al-Fadmi] in very low temperatures, they tried to connect with the authorities and Civil Protection but to no avail due to the poor telephone network coverage in the area," wrote El Bekkari in his Facebook post.

He added that Al-Nasseri managed to reach a higher altitude where he got in touch with his brother, who in turn called Civil Protection who came to rescue the secondary school teacher and took him to hospital.

"When harsh nature, a difficult climate, and the absence of the state come together, the values ​​of solidarity between people remain one of the most important elements of steadfastness in such situations," wrote El Bekkari.

"Abdelaziz Al-Nasseri and Abdelaziz Omouh are heroes, role models, and assets."

News of Al-Fadmi’s disappearance brought to the minds of many the tragic story of five-year-old boy Rayan Aourram, who in February this year fell down a narrow 32-metre dry well where he remained stuck for days, sparking a huge but ultimately failed rescue operation.

Rayan’s case sparked a wave of sympathy across Morocco and around the world.