How did the deadly climbing drama come about on Wednesday evening in the Tyrolean Zirl (Innsbruck-Land district)? Although the athlete (47) was well rested, for unknown reasons he fell about 40 meters from the “Kaiser-Max-Klettersteig” into the Martinswand and died. The man was traveling alone. The investigation into the cause is underway.
The 47-year-old Italian, who lived in Tyrol, only climbed the “Kaiser-Max-Klettersteig” in the Zirler Martinswand late in the afternoon on Wednesday. According to the Seefeld alpine police officer Dominic Brugger, the fatal accident may have happened in the lower area of the via ferrata.
Why the athlete fell around 40 meters around 5 p.m. is likely to remain a mystery, as other climbers on the scene were unable to provide information about the time of the accident. They had to watch the Italian fall past them and later needed help from the Red Cross crisis intervention team.
All help came too late
“The man came to rest in a wooded area,” said Bruno Berloffa, the local manager of the Innsbruck mountain rescue service, who left with eight men. The climbers had raised the alarm and provided first aid. For the 47-year-old, of course, all help came too late. The doctor in the helicopter could only confirm death. The mountain rescuers took on the sad task of carrying the body from the undergrowth to the foot of the wall, from where the Libelle Tirol then recovered it.
“The Italian was optimally equipped,” confirms mountain rescue commander Berloffa. Whether the victim did not hang himself in the steel cable or whether a mistake was made when hanging, that can only be speculated about. In any case, the lower part of the via ferrata has a degree of difficulty of D (very difficult), according to Alpine police officer Brugger.
65 via ferrata missions by the Tyrolean mountain rescue service
On Wednesday, Kufstein’s mountain rescue service had to rescue a German (55) from the “Direttissima” via ferrata in the Ottenalm area in Walchsee. The German had lost his strength, a cyclist heard his cry for help and alerted the emergency services.
Overconfidence common reason
He was unharmed, as was the American recently rescued by the Innsbruck mountain rescuers from the Innsbruck via ferrata. “He was just a little after the arrival around 5:30 pm”, Bruno Berloffa shook his head incredulously. In 2022, the Tyrolean mountain rescuers had to go on via ferrata missions 65 times so far. Very often, hubris was the reason for the emergency.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
