During an avalanche in the Birgkar on the south side of the Hochkönig (2941 meters), five ski tourers were partially buried on Sunday. Locals between the ages of 50 and 67 were on their way up in adverse light and weather conditions when around 10:30 a.m. a sliding snow avalanche broke free in the terrain above and caught the alpinists at about 1,800 meters above sea level. Three people suffered minor injuries in the accident.
The injured were flown to the Schwarzach hospital in two rescue helicopters. On Sunday there was avalanche warning level 2 (“moderate”) in the accident area. In view of the fresh snow cover, the situation report explicitly warned against sliding and loose snow avalanches from the steep rocky terrain – which applies to the Birgkar.
Challenging mission
As Maria Riedler of the mountain rescue service said, the situation on the ground was initially unclear. The buried people were part of different groups. A ski tourer who lost his skis in the avalanche and descended into the valley on foot was also initially considered missing. The mission also presented major challenges to the pilots of the two rescue helicopters.
The fog and wind prevented the helicopters from getting all the way to the accident site and the rescuers were only able to land nearby in extremely dangerous conditions. The salvage from the air was then successful in a weather window.
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.
