Five Foreign Hikers Killed by Sudden 'White Wind' Storm on Chile's Torres del Paine O Circuit

Five foreign hikers — two Mexicans, two Germans and one British woman — died after being overtaken by a sudden and violent storm while trekking the O Circuit in Torres del Paine National Park, Chilean authorities said. Four other members of the nine-person group were found alive following a late-night rescue operation.

How the rescue unfolded

A distress post shared in a local hikers' group and activation of a Garmin SOS feature on a smartwatch alerted rescue teams to the missing group. The SOS signal was routed through the device maker's operations center in the United States and forwarded to Chilean authorities, which helped pinpoint the party's location in a high-altitude section of the park about 3,900 feet above sea level.

Conditions and cause

Officials said the hikers, who were traveling without a professional guide, were struck by a phenomenon known locally as "white wind" — a combination of sustained gale-force gusts (reported as exceeding 120 mph), heavy snow, driving rain and subfreezing temperatures. Visibility fell to near zero and the terrain became impassable, preventing the group from reaching nearby shelters.

"It is an area with extremely bad weather conditions, with strong wind and snow that severely limits visibility on the trail," said José Antonio Ruiz, the presidential delegate for the Magallanes Region.

Rescuers located the bodies along one of the park trails; officials said there was no immediate evidence of a fall or other accidental injury. The route is normally closed during winter and typically reopens in November.

Next steps

Authorities are coordinating repatriation of the victims' remains with the relevant consulates and plan to use Air Force helicopters to move the bodies once weather permits safe air operations. The National Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation to determine exactly what happened and whether park safety protocols were followed.

Eduardo Katz, director of Ecotourism Management at Universidad San Sebastián, noted that the Paine Massif is exceptionally exposed to sudden weather shifts: "There are no trees or vegetation, which makes it harder to take shelter from the wind. It is a narrow area that increases wind speed and precipitation intensity. You can experience all four seasons in a single day."

On social media, President Gabriel Boric expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.