In the Austrian Alps, rescuers carried out a 14-hour operation to save a 20-year-old German mountaineer who had been left at an altitude of about 2,600 meters by two companions. Due to heavy snowfall and poor visibility, the man might not have survived another night in the mountains, Euronews reports, citing the Austrian Mountain Rescue Service, writes UNN.
Details
The incident occurred on the Hochkönig mountain massif in Salzburg. Three Germans set out along the Königsjodler route despite an unfavorable weather forecast and a warning from another mountaineer.
At around 7:00 p.m., one of the men was unable to continue the ascent and called for help. His companions left him and continued on, reaching the Matrashaus mountain refuge at an altitude of 2,941 meters during the night.
Rescuers worked in snowstorm conditions
Because of the bad weather, the helicopter was unable to take off, so the rescuers had to climb to the victim on foot. They found the exhausted mountaineer shortly before midnight.
About 20 cm of snow fell overnight, completely covering the trail. The man was lowered using ropes while the rescuers navigated deep snow and dangerous sections of the route.
This was life-threatening for everyone. Due to the heavy snowfall and poor visibility, our team reached Erichhütte only at 8:18 a.m.
Gerhard Kremzer, head of the rescue service in the Pongau district, said that the abandoned mountaineer most likely would not have survived another night in such conditions.
He stressed that ignoring weather warnings, excessive overconfidence, and improper route planning can lead to tragedy.
According to Euronews, Austrian police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.