Snowboarder in a canyon – exercise became an emergency for glacier rescuers

Individual skills, basic knowledge and dealing with complex avalanche operations were the focus on the Pitztal Glacier on Sunday. “In emergencies, the local offices need to work well together and have the same skills,” say Christian Rimml and Raphael Eiter, local office and training managers for the Innerpitztal mountain rescue service.

Support of the Pitztaler Gletscherbahn
Theoretical knowledge was first taught, then the mountain rescuers were able to practice at various stations thanks to the support of the Gletscherbahn. The focus was on searching with the avalanche transceiver, probing, excavation, first aid to victims and evacuation from difficult terrain. “Of course we also engaged in delicate tasks, such as rescuing people who were buried very deeply,” Rimml explains.

Although it has been a few years, the emergency services still have an impressive memory of the recovery of two touring riders who were buried a few meters below the Braunschweiger Hütte. “Locating with the avalanche beacon no longer works with such deep burial depths, so an organized rescue operation is required in any case,” emphasizes Rimml, “otherwise the help of friends is particularly important.” Train the device regularly. He and his mountain rescuers carry out about five avalanche missions per winter in the Pitztal.

Injured athlete recovered from crevasse
Incidentally, a German snowboarder owes his speedy recovery to the presence of mountain rescuers at the Pitztal Glacier on Sunday. The 34-year-old fell five meters into a hole in the open ski area around 12:30 p.m. “We were alerted during the exercise and were able to rescue him quickly unharmed,” says Rimml with satisfaction.

By the way, the experts generally and urgently warn against glacier tours because of the currently treacherous danger of falling into a crevasse.