The Ertzaintza confirmed that a rescue operation was launched to bring this group of people, who were surprised by both the high tide and a storm hitting the region, back to land. The Basque police rescued several individuals by both land and air.
The Red Cross also deployed two boats and a jet ski from its Getaria base to transport the hikers to port, with assistance from a patrol boat of the Civil Guard's Maritime Service. Those rescued were then transferred to the port of Getaria.
“"The Getaria base has been activated to evacuate about twenty people trapped in the Flysch. In a joint operation with other Emergency teams, we launched 2 boats and a jet ski and brought 8 people to port."
The Security Department of the Basque Government confirmed that approximately twenty people received assistance. This type of incident, unfortunately, recurs annually, particularly during the spring months when good weather encourages hikers and visitors to explore the natural beauty of these cliffs, only to find themselves needing rescue to return to safety when the weather turns adverse.
Similar incidents have occurred previously. In March 2025, two groups totaling twelve hikers, eight of whom were French, were rescued by the Ertzaintza and Firefighters after being caught by the tide in the Zumaia flysch. The challenging rescue lasted four hours, with no injuries reported. A few months later, in June, another seven people were rescued by helicopter from the flysch for the same reason.
