{"id":17543,"date":"2026-10-01T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=17543"},"modified":"2026-10-01T21:10:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T02:10:41","slug":"heroism-and-tragedy-2-people-dead-and-11-rescued-after-flash-flood-in-the-macho-de-monte-canyon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/politics-government\/heroism-and-tragedy-2-people-dead-and-11-rescued-after-flash-flood-in-the-macho-de-monte-canyon\/","title":{"rendered":"Heroism and Tragedy: 2 People Dead and 11 Rescued After Flash Flood in the Macho de Monte Canyon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two rescue workers died after being swept away by a flash flood in the Macho de Monte River in Tierras Altas, Chiriqu\u00ed province<\/a>, authorities confirmed. The men were participating in a high-mountain training exercise<\/a> when a sudden surge of water overwhelmed the group, and their final actions saved the rest of the team in what officials described as a heroic rescue act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Omar Smith, director of Panama’s National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc)<\/a>, confirmed that search teams located the bodies in the upper basin of the river early Wednesday morning. Recovery operations were expected to take one to two hours due to the treacherous terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"CA\u00d1ON
Flash floods in the Chiriqu\u00ed highlands can develop rapidly, particularly during the rainy season when water levels in rivers like the Macho de Monte can rise dramatically within minutes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Heroic Rescue During Mountain Training Exercise in Macho de Monte<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The incident occurred while the group was conducting a high-mountain cours<\/a>e involving rappelling maneuvers. A sudden flash flood, known locally as a “cabeza de agua,” struck without warning. The roaring river made verbal warnings nearly impossible, though a lookout positioned in the upper basin attempted to alert the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two victims were stationed at the safety line. When they noticed the water level rising rapidly, they moved immediately to evacuate the remaining personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“It was a heroic rescue act. If they had not made the decision they made to evacuate the rest, the story would have been very different,” [Translated from Spanish]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Smith said, describing the men as “exceptional beings.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith clarified that weather conditions are monitored before every operation and no active flood alerts were in place. The only warning came from the team member stationed in the upper basin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n