23/07/2026 03:52 - Actualidad
The southern region of Argentina is currently facing an intense polar wave, but hope and teamwork led to a happy ending.
In an event that kept the whole country on edge and deeply moved its people, José Guillermo Bilbao (59 years old) and his partner Noelia Gissella Siares were rescued safe and sound after spending 44 hours trapped in their Toyota Hilux truck under temperatures of -22 degrees Celsius. The miracle occurred in the Cerro Piedra area, Santa Cruz province, amidst the most intense cold event of the year.
According to reports from Argentine media like La Nación, Infobae, and TN, the couple, belonging to the Mapuche-Tehuelche Copolque community, left on Saturday, July 18, 2026 towards town to fetch food and fodder. Finding the main road blocked by snow, they tried an alternative route, but the vehicle got stuck in a calafate bush (a typical Patagonian thorny shrub). The snow quickly got the upper hand.
For nearly two days, José and Noelia demonstrated enviable calm and composure. Without solid food, they stayed hydrated only with water. To cope with the cold, which inside the vehicle dropped to -17°C, they rationed the truck's fuel, turning on the engine only as much as necessary to keep the heater running.
Technology played a vital role: thanks to a Starlink connection, José was able to communicate constantly with his children and siblings, and they even listened on the radio to the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. "We never lost our calm," Bilbao recounted.
In the early hours of Monday, July 20, 2026, at 4:30 AM, an impeccable joint operation managed to reach them. Teams from the Provincial Highway Department (Las Heras District), the Special Rescue Operations Group (GEOR), the National Gendarmerie (Argentina's federal border police), and the oil company Roch traveled more than 100 kilometers in five hours under adverse weather conditions. At 5:00 AM, they managed to free the truck, which was frozen to the ground by frost.
Both were found in good health and transferred to the town of Las Heras. The Undersecretary of Civil Protection of Santa Cruz, Sandra Gordillo, advised the community to avoid traveling during storms of this magnitude.
Despite his recovered peace of mind, José is already thinking about his production. Back in the fields, 250 sheep and 15 horses were affected by the snowfall. "We are going to have many losses," he lamented, showing the resilient spirit of a rural worker that characterizes the region. The area remains under red and orange alerts by the National Meteorological Service (SMN), with temperatures dropping to -16.2°C in El Calafate.
Sources: La Nación, Infobae, TN.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
