Our local newspaper has reported that the Mountain Rescue Patrol were called out on Saturday to rescue a man lost in the forest near the Spanish border. He had tried to drive to Spain to buy cigarettes (they are less than half the price compared to France). The Spanish frontier is closed and he was turned back, so he decided to park his car and sneak into Spain by a hiking trail. He got lost, fell into a river, and fearing death by hypothermia, he called for rescue. A helicopter found him and he was winched up. He was fined 135€, the standard fine for being outside unnecessarily. That would have bought him 15 packs in France and 30 in Spain.
