22/07/2026 12:05 - Sociales
On the night of Saturday, July 18, 2026, José Guillermo Bilbao and Noelia Gissella Siares embarked on a journey from their rural ranch to the nearest town in the Cerro Piedra area of Santa Cruz province, Argentina. Their goal was simple yet urgent: to fetch food and animal fodder due to the intense snowstorms battering the region. However, the winter storm caught them off guard on the road.
According to various local news reports, the accumulation of approximately 40 centimeters of snow and fierce winds created what locals call voladeros—drifting snow formations carried by the wind that pile up and completely block roads. While attempting to take an old alternative route, their truck became firmly wedged in a calafate bush (a thorny shrub typical of Patagonia), leaving them unable to move forward or backward.
For over 44 hours, the couple faced polar temperatures that plummeted to -22 degrees Celsius (-7.6°F). Since they had only planned a short trip, they had water but no food. To survive the freezing cold, José and Noelia carefully rationed the truck's fuel: they turned on the engine for brief periods to use the vehicle's heater, then turned it off to conserve gas while waiting to be found.
The alarm was activated 24 hours after the couple became stranded, when they finally managed to establish contact using a satellite communication system. José's brother, Jorge Bilbao, initiated desperate efforts by contacting local authorities, the head of the Provincial Highway Department (Vialidad Provincial), and ultimately the Minister of Security of Santa Cruz, Pedro Prodromos.
The rescue became a monumental logistical challenge. During Sunday, July 19, search teams managed to assist another couple who had also been trapped in the area, which momentarily delayed the search for José and Noelia. Finally, a snowplow departed from Las Heras near midnight, taking almost five hours to cover just over 100 kilometers due to the treacherous, frozen state of the dirt roads.
04:30 AM
Monday, July 20, 2026
A joint task force—comprising the Provincial Highway Department, Squadron 39 of the National Gendarmerie (border police), the Special Rescue Operations Group (GOER), the Rural Operations Division of Perito Moreno, and the Santa Cruz Police—finally reached the truck, which was frozen to the ground by frost. Surprisingly, both José and Noelia were found in good health and did not require emergency medical attention.
This miraculous rescue occurred during the most intense cold snap of the year in the province. Argentina's National Meteorological Service (SMN) maintained red and orange alerts for various areas of Santa Cruz, with daytime highs remaining below freezing and lows reaching -20 degrees Celsius in towns like Lago Posadas, Tres Lagos, and El Calafate.
After being brought to safety, José Bilbao spoke with Radio LU12 AM680 and recounted the dramatic experience: “The snow caught us off guard, and we were caught with few supplies. Now that it's over and we are home, the body is struggling to recover. I am grateful to everyone because there was a lot of willingness and much equipment. Fortunately, everything turned out well.”
Alfredo S. Quiroga
