Coronavirus Latest: Man Rescued From Mountains After Breaking Quarantine To Buy Cigarettes

While millions around the world are looking for new ways to adjust to the quarantined life, a Frenchman who could not contain his love for cigarettes decided to break his quarantine. However, things did not go well for him as he ended up getting lost in the mountains.

The smoker, who has not been named, lived in Perpignan city in Southern France. From there he decided to cross over the border to Spain in order to buy some cheap cigarettes. He set off from his home in his car but was blocked at police checkpoints at the border. The man, however, refused to give up on the cigarettes and decided to cross over to La Jonquera on foot.

The man planned to hike through the mountains which connected the two countries. He soon got lost on the mountain slopes and ended up stumbling into a stream and then some brambles. The man, realizing he was lost decided to call emergency services for help, New York Post reported.

They immediately sent a helicopter to look for the smoker. He was located quickly by the rescuers, who said he was “exhausted, shivering with cold and lost.” He was evacuated from the mountains with the help of the helicopter and taken back to Perpignan. He was then fined $145 for breaking the quarantine rules.

The police rescue service in the Pyrénées-Orientales region put up a post regarding this incident on Facebook asking people not to break the quarantine rules.

“Once again, we remind you: STAY AT HOME,” the officials wrote.

Governments across the world are taking strict actions against people who fail to comply with the coronavirus safety measures that are in place. In China, a woman who decided to break quarantine and go for a jog was fired from her job and ordered to leave the country, CNN reported. In Hawaii, interstate travelers breaking quarantine could earn a fine of $5000 and up to a year in prison.