Man rescued in Pyrenees fined for trying to walk from France to Spain to buy cigarettes in violation of lockdown

A MAN who had to be rescued by helicopter after falling trying to walk from France to Spain to buy cigarettes has been fined for breaking coronavirus lockdown regulations.

The PGHM mountain rescue service said they found the young man “exhausted, ice-cold and lost.”

He was airlifted out and taken to a security facility in Perpignan.

According to reports he had set out by car from Perpignan about 25 kilometres from the Spanish border to try and get across the border to La Jonquera and get cheap smokes, but was turned back at a checkpoint. Undeterred, he decided to hike across the frontier over the mountains, but got lost and fell into a stream and brambles and had to contact the emergency services.

Once safe and sound the hapless man was fined €135 for breaking the health emergency restrictions on movement.

Under French lockdown measures people are only allowed to leave home for essential reasons and have to carry a letter explaining why they are out.