06.03.2025 11:31
New information has emerged regarding the case of landscape architect Ece Gürel, who went missing in Istanbul and was found alive 72 hours later during search efforts in Belgrad Forest. In the Müge Anlı program covering the incident, it was stated, "She was found 9 meters away from the spot where her bag and coat were located. She returned to the place of her bag, which was an area frequented by dozens of people."
On March 2, Sunday, 36-year-old Ece Gürel left her home in the Gültepe neighborhood of Kağıthane, saying she would go to Belgrad Forest, and she was not heard from again. The search efforts initiated to find her yielded results on the fourth day.
Teams consisting of 4 special forces and 12 civil society organization members conducting search activities in the forested area found Gürel asleep at 01:15. It was later learned that Gürel was conscious when awakened.
The woman, who was put in touch with her husband Sezer Gürel over the phone, was later taken to an ambulance. Gürel, who was found to have minor injuries, received precautionary medical intervention from health teams.
Sezer Gürel, who received the good news, was overwhelmed with tears of joy. Health and search and rescue teams tried to comfort Gürel. Sezer Gürel thanked the teams that found his wife.
ECE GÜREL TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
Police teams took extensive security measures by closing the roads leading to the forested area. In addition to UMKE and police teams, health teams were also dispatched to the forested area.
In a statement made by the Istanbul Governorship, it was stated, "Ece Gürel, who went to Belgrad Forest for a walk and was later not heard from, was found alive in the steep forested area as of 01:15 on March 6. Ece Gürel, found as a result of the search and rescue efforts carried out under the coordination of AFAD, has been taken to the hospital by health teams."
Meanwhile, footage of the moment Ece Gürel was found has also emerged. In the images recorded by a mobile phone camera, it is seen that Gürel was conscious.
FAMILY MEMBERS' JOY
When Ece Gürel was taken to Maslak Acıbadem Hospital by ambulance, her mother, father, and husband embraced each other upon receiving the good news.
Her husband Sezer Gürel stated to the press members waiting in Belgrad Forest that they were very happy, saying, "May God bless everyone. We were cold, we froze. What did she do there for days? I saw my wife's photo, I felt very relieved. I will never leave her side again. I won't ask her another question, I won't leave her again."
Father Muharrem Koçoğlu thanked the teams involved in the search efforts, saying, "My God has granted her to me. May God bless everyone who worked to find her. I witnessed how hard everyone worked."
Mother Gülşen Koçoğlu expressed that they experienced a great miracle, saying, "We received good news at the moment when my hopes were fading. When I first heard the news, I jumped with joy."
"HER LIPS WERE TREMBLING WHEN WE FIRST FOUND HER"
Turan Altun, a volunteer from the search and rescue team that found Ece Gürel, shared the events that took place. Altun said, "When we first found her, her lips were trembling."
"SHE RESPONDED 6 MINUTES AFTER HER BODY WARMED UP"
Turan Altun, a volunteer from the Neighborhood Disaster Volunteers-Emergency Response Association (MAG-AME), stated, "When we first found her, her lips were trembling, her eyes were open. But since 72 hours had passed, her body had completely frozen. We spread a thermal blanket over her and gave her our jackets. Six minutes after her body warmed up, she started to respond and scream. We felt that her nerves were intact, and her screaming was a sign of that. We were even happier. We carried her to the normal road, which was 2 kilometers away."
"I SCREAMED THAT SHE WAS FOUND"
Turan Altun, who stated that he arrived at the area around 21:00 to participate in the search, said, "They gave us coordinates from 05:00 to 13:00. We searched in the 6th and 7th coordinates, and there were a total of 16 of us, spaced 5 meters apart. Four special forces teams secured our safety. We conducted area scanning with a total of 30-meter openings. As the Neighborhood Disaster Volunteers-Emergency Response Association, we have been actively volunteering in these kinds of work for a long time. I was side by side with my teammate in the field. I shouted that she was found. We have been receiving training for a long time as the Neighborhood Disaster Volunteers-Emergency Response teams. We carried out the work in the field as it should be done correctly."
SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT THE LOCATION WHERE SHE WAS FOUND
Meanwhile, new information regarding Ece Gürel's safe discovery was shared on the ATV program "Müge Anlı ile Tatlı Sert." Müge Anlı pointed out the location where Ece Gürel was found, saying, "She was found just 9 meters away from where her bag and coat were located. She returned to the place of her bag, where dozens of people had walked."
Anlı continued her remarks, saying, "After yesterday's broadcast, we received calls about a woman emerging from the forest covered in mud. We investigated these. If she had been found a few hours later, we could have faced a horrific scene. We have crazy questions in our minds. What happened to this girl? Something must have happened. The police teams are waiting for Ece to wake up."