Lost architect Ece Gurel miraculously found alive after 4 days in freezing cold in Istanbul forest
Rescue teams provided first aid to Ece Gurel, a 36-year old Turkish architecht (Anadolu Agency via social media.)
A Turkish woman who had been missing for four days after entering an Istanbul forest was miraculously found alive by research teams.
Her situation had dominated Türkiye‘s domestic news, as she got lost after a quarrel with her company owner. Many assumed that she was already dead.
Ece Gurel, who had been missing for days after telling her friend she was heading to Belgrad Forest in Istanbul, was conscious when found.
Gurel, who was slightly injured but conscious, was taken to the hospital after receiving first aid at the scene.
Rescue volunteer Turan Altun said, “When we first found her, her lips were trembling, and her eyes were open. But since 72 hours had passed, her body was completely frozen.”
Search efforts, launched after Gurel went missing on March 2 after leaving her home in Kagithane’s Gultepe neighborhood, yielded results on the fourth day.
A search team consisting of four riot police officers and 12 members of a civil society organization found Gurel asleep in a wooded area in Istanbul forest at 1:15 a.m.
She was woken up and confirmed to be conscious. She was then connected with her husband, Sezer Gurel, via phone before being taken to an ambulance. Medical teams provided precautionary treatment for her minor injuries.
Expressing his relief, her husband, Sezer Gurel, said, “I felt relieved when I saw my wife. Thank God she was found safe and sound.”
Her mother, Gulşen Kocoglu, also shared her gratitude: “We thank everyone who searched and inquired. We haven’t seen her yet, but she was found up there. Thank you all so much.”
Police teams secured the forest area, closing off access roads. Medical personnel and emergency teams, including he Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) were dispatched to the scene.
The Istanbul Governor’s Office issued a statement saying, “Ece Gurel, who went to Belgrad Forest for a walk and was later reported missing, was found alive in a rugged forest area at 1:15 a.m. on March 6. She was located during search and rescue operations coordinated by AFAD and taken to the hospital by medical teams.”
