Avila, Spain - April 20, 2024

In a remarkable feat, the Spanish Civil Guard executed its inaugural nighttime aerial rescue mission using cutting-edge night vision goggles (NVGs). This historic operation unfolded at the Elola shelter in Avila, where an individual had sustained a head injury from falling ice.

The rescue mission was triggered by a distress call from the Operational Services Center (COS) in Avila, prompting the Air Service of the Civil Guard to dispatch a helicopter for an urgent rescue operation in the rugged terrain of the Sierra de Gredos (Avila) region.

With dusk descending and visibility diminishing, rescue personnel opted to equip themselves with night vision goggles, anticipating the need for enhanced visibility in the challenging conditions.

Accompanied by the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group (GREIM) of the Civil Guard from Hoyos del Espino (Avila), the helicopter crew embarked on the perilous mission, navigating through the darkness aided by the night vision technology.

Utilizing a searchlight to illuminate the area, the crew meticulously scoured the landscape before seamlessly transitioning to the use of night vision goggles to locate and extract the injured individual from the Elola shelter.