26/07/2026 06:17 - Sociales
The story seems straight out of a movie, but it happened in real life in Chile and has the entire country talking. On July 16, 2026, in the early morning, three people left the nightclub Terrazielo, located in the Peñalolén district of Santiago, and decided to travel more than 115 kilometers to the Termas del Valle de Colina (Valle de Colina Hot Springs), deep in the Cajón del Maipo, a mountain valley at the foot of the Andes.
But there was a crucial detail: authorities had already ordered the preventive closure of Route G-25 due to weather warnings for an intense frontal system bringing extreme snowfall. Moreover, the vehicle they were traveling in was not a 4x4 and had a warrant for unpaid installments, according to Chilean media La Tercera. None of that stopped the group.
According to various Chilean media, both women were the teachers of Orellana's son in early childhood education, and they had known him for over six years. This relationship sparked intense debate on social media and in the press.
After failing to reach their original destination of Baños Morales because the car could not advance through the snow, the three got out and walked about ten minutes until they found a shelter at the Termas del Valle de Colina. The property belonged to Hernán 'Nano' Covarrubias, manager of the tourist establishment, who had ordered the evacuation of the place due to the storm but left the doors open in case anyone was stranded.
'The shelter was kept open with supplies for at least a month. There was canned food, good beds, blankets, a hostel with 10 rooms with all their clothes, and a cabin next door with three rooms and a kitchen with everything needed to survive', Covarrubias explained in a press conference.
A video released after the rescue showed the interior of the shelter: bottles of wine and pisco, cans of beer, tuna and mackerel, a pot with noodles, a tray of eggs, and blankets used to keep warm. These items were essential for the three to cook, light a fire, and protect themselves from the heavy snowfall for six full nights.
The families reported the disappearance, and the Chilean Investigative Police (PDI) began reconstructing the route by reviewing security cameras, license plate readings, and witness statements. A key witness said he saw the group heading toward Baños Morales and that the women were in good condition, with no signs of being forced.
On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, as the weather improved, a Carabineros (Chilean national police) helicopter took off from the Tobalaba airfield with personnel from the Special Police Operations Group (GOPE). During a flyover, Captain Matías Zagal spotted movement near the shelter: Orellana came outside and began waving his arms, allowing the pilot to land and carry out the evacuation.
First, the man was evacuated, and then the helicopter returned for the two women. All three were taken to the town of San Gabriel and underwent medical checks. Initial exams determined they were without injuries and in good general health, though emotionally affected by the isolation.
'Today they feel regret, they said they should never have gone up, that it was a bad decision', stated Deputy Prefect Tatiana García-Huidobro, head of the PDI's Person Location Brigade.
The recklessness came with a very high price tag. The operation mobilized Carabineros, PDI, the Army, Firefighters, Andean Rescue, SAMU (emergency medical service), and municipal officials from Senapred (National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response).
| Item | Estimated Cost (Chilean Pesos) | Approximate Equivalent (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Extraction with GOPE helicopter (state) | $15,000,000 – $20,000,000 | ~US$16,000 – US$21,000 |
| Same procedure contracted privately | $40,000,000 | ~US$43,000 |
| Total estimated cost of the entire operation | $100,000,000 – $200,000,000 | ~US$107,000 – US$214,000 |
The Director of Public Security of the San José de Maipo municipality, Felipe Armijo, estimated the rescue exceeded 100 million Chilean pesos (approximately US$107,000). Meanwhile, Alfonso Kaiser, a risk professor in the Master of Engineering Management at the Universidad de los Andes (Uandes), explained that the calculation includes factors such as future maintenance, spare parts, and aircraft depreciation, estimating the total cost could reach between 150 and 200 million pesos.
The government of Chile, through the Metropolitan Presidential Delegation, consulted the Council of State Defense (CDE) to determine whether it is possible to recover the public resources used in the search and rescue. This means the three rescued individuals could face a financial claim from the state.
In the early hours of the search, a kidnapping hypothesis circulated. However, Orellana's wife emphatically dismissed that version in an interview with the Mega channel:
'They already knew each other, they had already talked and shared a lot before. It was never a kidnapping, it's not like that', the woman stated, referring to the prior relationship between her husband and the two preschool teachers.
The case became one of the most talked-about topics of the week in Chile, both because of the incredible survival story in extreme conditions and the personal dimension of those involved, which generated memes and a heated debate on social media about individual responsibility in the face of weather emergencies and the cost of recklessness to the public treasury.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
