The test opens new possibilities for saving lives and preventing situations such as the death of Russian mountaineer Natalia Nagovitsnya, who could not be rescued in August 2025 on Mount Pobeda, between China and Kyrgyzstan, whose image captured by search drones went around the world. Andorra’s Civil Protection and Firefighters, the Red Cross, and the Automòbil Club d’Andorra (ACA) monitored the test alongside mountaineers Alex Txikon and María Martín.
Image of the drill, with the stretcher being transported by the drone.
Andorra, December 11, 2025. The technological innovation company The NeverRest Project and the drone-technology integrator Aerofor have led the world’s first and pioneering high-mountain drone rescue drill, which took place on December 4 and 5 at El Roc de Quer, in the Pyrenees of Andorra, at an altitude of about 1,920 meters.
This drill represents a major qualitative leap in vertical rescue and emergency logistics using high-capacity unmanned aircraft, and opens new possibilities for saving lives and avoiding situations such as the death of Russian mountaineer Natalia Nagovitsnya, who could not be rescued in August 2025 on Mount Pobeda, between China and Kyrgyzstan, and whose image captured by search drones went viral worldwide.
The drill took place on December 4 and 5, monitored by Andorra’s Firefighters and Civil Protection, the Red Cross, and the Automòbil Club d’Andorra (ACA), with the collaboration of Basque mountaineer Alex Txikon and mountaineer and medical technician María Martín, both collaborators of The NeverRest Project, who tested the different ground protocols. Aerofor used a DJI Agras T100 drone, a high-capacity aircraft —a heavy-lifter category— prepared to transport critical loads and carry out evacuation maneuvers in complex scenarios with minimal environmental impact. The drone managed to lift and transport an 85-kilogram dummy —used for the technical drill without putting anyone at risk— confirming its viability as a high-mountain rescue option.
Andorra’s Firefighters and Civil Protection, together with representatives from The NeverRest Project, Aerofor, the Red Cross, and the Automòbil Club d’Andorra.
Until now, drones had been used by emergency professionals for victim location, terrain inspection, or visual support to rescue teams, but not for transporting injured individuals—except for the rescue of a person in a river in China in July 2025, though not in a high-mountain context. This positions Andorra as a world pioneer in research and innovation in unmanned-aircraft emergency rescue.
The CEO and founder of The NeverRest Project, Frédéric Kauffmann, stated that “the death of mountaineer Natalia Nagovitsyna in 2025 highlighted the problem that we have a lot of technology, but we do not use it as much as we could to save lives. And this breakthrough we’ve seen today is crucial for its application on mountain routes, as well as on extreme mountaineering routes such as those in the Himalayas in Nepal. We want to thank Andorra for this opportunity to validate the technology that we will implement in Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal) in 2026.”
Eduardo Ibañez, CEO and cofounder of Aerofor, highlighted that despite pushing the drone to its limits in a context of below-zero temperatures, ice, and snow, “we have seen that it could support firefighters and emergency teams by carrying their load —from backpacks to first-aid equipment— allowing them to arrive faster by moving more lightly, thus increasing their approach speed to victims. Therefore, we reduce time, and it is a tool that could already offer this solution. In the option where the drone transports self-rescue boxes to the injured, it is possible, as long as the person has some technical knowledge. In this regard, the next drone that is about to be released will have an automatic box, which the pilot will be able to open via remote control, facilitating self-rescue operations. Finally, in the rescue of people, we tested with the dummy and verified that it can be viable. For this, we must work extensively on active and passive operational safety, safety protocols, and operational procedures with experts, but the results are very promising, and I believe that in the future we will see drones rescuing people.”
In the words of mountaineer Alex Txikon, this test “gives you a vision of what the future of mountain rescues could be, but also in forest fires or even in cities, for example in the evacuation of skyscrapers. I believe that sustainable use of drones will be very fruitful, will save lives, and will prevent fatal accidents among mountain rescuers.”
According to mountaineer and medical technician María Martín, “drones already offer major possibilities such as quickly locating an injured person or scanning terrain with thermal cameras. Now, with the T100 model, we have seen that the possibilities for transporting an injured person are opening up. For those of us who work in emergencies, that information is essential; it helps us decide how to act and which route to take. And, if that weren’t enough, being able to send a thermal blanket or basic materials while the team keeps working can make a huge difference.”
This drill, carried out in a real high-risk support and evacuation scenario, allows the validation of large-load lifting capacity in adverse conditions, load management in flight, vertical evacuation procedures, and coordination between the aircraft and ground teams. These results are part of The NeverRest Project’s technological roadmap to improve safety in Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal, home to Everest and many other 7,000- and 8,000-meter peaks.
About The NeverRest Project
The NeverRest Project is an environmental innovation technology corporation working to find balance between tourism, the environment, and local communities, scaling its experience from Everest into solutions for implementing regenerative tourism in other parts of the world, such as Costa Rica and Ghana.
One of The NeverRest Project’s pioneering solutions is EverData, a platform that for the first time compiles, analyzes, and visualizes essential data on environmental impact, waste management, and tourism activity, in addition to performing five-year forecasts of tourism and environmental evolution in specific areas. So far, EverData is already available for Nepal, for the national parks of Costa Rica and Ghana.
Previously, The NeverRest Project also developed the first Sustainable Base Camp proposal for Everest, among other solutions and campaigns from the summit of Everest to raise awareness about the need for more balanced tourism that benefits both travelers and local communities and their ecosystems.
Supported and partnered by Ferrino, Garmin, Eurecat, and Elisava School of Design and Engineering of Barcelona.