Chile’s Daily News Brief: July 21st

Two Easter Island Tourists Detained for Damaging Archaeological Site

A couple planning to conduct a night photo-shoot in a National Monument site protected by law were detained on Easter Island. Investigation Police detained Scott Lachland and Lauren Wilson for jumping a fence, ignoring control systems and signs and instructions illustrating the care the place needs. The man is a 27-year-old Australian tour guide and his partner is a 26-year-old Canadian student.

The couple was caught in Orongo, Easter Island. This is an ancestral village on the island, where archaeological statues and petroglyphs are out in the open and hence very fragile. It is also an important place on the island since it is where the “bird man” ritual is celebrated.

Authorities say that once inside the village, the couple climbed the millennium-old petroglyphs and other archaeological structures (such as stone houses) causing the acceleration of erosion and wear on these megaliths.

Conaf, the national forestry corporation, first detected the trespassers and alerted police. The couple was caught while trying to escape in car towards the town. They will be formalized at Rapa Nui court and could face imprisonment or a fine.

Cold weather causes havoc in hospitals

In the Metropolitan region, health care centers and emergency centers are feeling the strain as they deal with an increase in patient numbers due to respiratory illnesses brought on by the cold weather.

In Padre Hurtado Hospital, patients have had to wait up to six hours for treatment.

According to Ximena Solis, head of the Emergency Service of Padre Hurtado Hospital “This delay occurs because we look after the sickest patients first. Those who have to wait are those are not so serious, which postpones the consultation of some patients, several hours in some cases.”

So far in July there have been seven days recorded with the temperature below zero, the highest number since 2003.

Investigation into death at El Colorado

The Attorney East prosecutor Luis Jaramillo has been appointed to investigate the death of an 8-year-old boy at El Colorado ski resort over the weekend.

The boy was injured after hitting a wooden barrier that marked the edge of the track.   He broke his collar bone, which in turn burst an artery.  He was airlifted to a hospital in Santiago however died of cardiac arrest.

This is the second incident to involve a minor in a week.  Last Tuesday a 7-year-old became caught on a chair lift at La Parva ski field.  The hood of his ski jacket became entangled in the lift and he was left hanging 20 meters above the air.  He was retrieved unhurt.