Romanians rescued three Ukrainians wandering in the snowy Carpathians while wearing sneakers.

Romanian rescuers found three Ukrainians alive who crossed the border with Romania through the Maramureș mountains on Tuesday evening and sought help from authorities after realizing they were lost. All of them showed signs of hypothermia, and one sustained an injury. The Ukrainians were handed over to medical personnel, and Romanian authorities stated that they would take legal measures to allow them to remain in the country.

After a lengthy rescue operation in the Romanian Carpathians, three Ukrainians who illegally crossed the border were found alive. Two of them were in satisfactory condition, while one complained of chest pains, struggled to breathe, and had difficulty moving due to an injury. Members of the rescue team told reporters that emergency services received a call from the Ukrainians on Tuesday evening. The mountain rescue service arrived at the coordinates provided by the Ukrainians; however, they were not found there. Nevertheless, the rescuers were able to accurately determine the direction and eventually located them. The search took over 12 hours.

When they were found, it turned out that they had no food and were dressed inadequately for the weather, wearing only sneakers. A few hours after their discovery, the Ukrainians were brought down to the valley and handed over to medical personnel. The head of the mountain rescue service, Sabin Cornea, noted that the authorities "will continue legal steps to ensure that these citizens have the right to stay in Romania."

A man and his kitten were rescued

Earlier, the Romanians found and rescued a 28-year-old Ukrainian who also nearly succumbed to hypothermia. He survived thanks to the kitten he was carrying. The man, along with his cat, crossed the Ukrainian border in the Carpathians but got lost in the snowy mountains. He fell into a 400-meter ravine and nearly perished from hypothermia. In the ravine amid the snow, the Ukrainian spent about a day. While waiting for rescuers, he kept the cat under his jacket, which is why he survived.