Chinese couple follows helicopter to safety

Two sightseers from China in search of an old Venetian bridge got lost for several hours in the forest, with a helicopter spotting them and guiding them to safety well past midnight.

The couple, a 35-year-old male and a 31-year-old female, lost their bearings in the southern part of Paphos Forest on Monday evening while driving in search of Routhkia bridge, about 3 kilometres north of an abandoned village.

The couple started their daytrip in Agios Ioannis in Limassol and headed west about 50 kilometres, where at one point they lost their bearings and also had a car problem with their rental vehicle.

Police told Knews that the man called for help around 7pm and a patrol car was sent to the area immediately. A helicopter was also dispatched during the rescue operation due to the circumstances as it was getting dark when safety risks are typically elevated.

The helicopter spotted the couple and helped guide them to safety, with patrol cars and rescuers following the aircraft to a meeting point due to difficulty in accessing the area.

The rescue operation came to an end at 1:15am Tuesday morning, with the couple said to be in good health and returning to their rental place.