THE SEARCH
Leif makes the call to mountain rescue. He presses the phone to his ear, sharing the few details he has with Knut, who mans the desk at the rescue base.
Over the years, Leif has met most of the team of volunteers. His father used to be one of them. They’re a solid, experienced team of climbers, mountaineers, and retired medical staff. If a rescue operation is needed, there is no crew he’d rather call upon.
He tells Knut, “The woman was sighted near the eastern ridge of Blafjell mountain. There’s no GPS location, but the hikers who saw her think she’s about twenty meters down.”
Knut doesn’t comment on the information, but Leif knows what he’ll be thinking: the odds of surviving a twenty-meter fall onto rock aren’t good. “Any sign that the woman was still alive?”
“The hikers called to her, but there was no response.”
“Weather conditions on Blafjell?”
Leif glances through the open doorway. The peaks of the mountain are still shrouded in cloud. “Visibility looks poor. The wind is up. Can’t rule out rain incoming.”
Knut’s voice is calm and authoritative as he delivers the bad news: “The rescue helicopter is already out. There’s another incident over at Hyvik.”
“The rock?”
“Yes.”
Hyvik rock is a tourist hot spot, and there has been a chain of accidents this summer—mostly tourists standing too close to the edge with their selfie sticks. There is talk of putting in a safety barrier.
“The helicopter’s only just been sent out. Could be a few hours. Then we’ll need to refuel. You can have the second truck and team. First is already en route to Hyvik.”
Leif understands. “I’ll go on foot. Get a head start. See what the situation is.”
“Good man,” Knut says. “Keep your radio on.”
Leif’s done his basic rescue training and first aid. Most of the good local climbers have. If you spend a lot of time in the mountains, you need to be prepared.
Just before Knut hangs up, he asks a final question. “Do we know who this woman is?”
Leif slides the logbook toward him. He opens it, scanning the list of names, a heaviness settling in his chest. “No. Not yet.”