Freeriders ended up in a difficult position during a guided (!) tour in the Tyrolean Lechtal on Monday: a participant (26) fell into a steep gully and suffered injuries. The local resident was rescued by the alerted rescue helicopter and flown to hospital. Problem: Other participants were afraid to go further. After another distress call, they could not initially be rescued by helicopter due to adverse weather conditions.
Two qualified ski guides (aged 33 and 55) set out with a total of eight participants between the ages of 26 and 65 to undertake a variant descent from the St. Anton ski area towards Kaisers im Lechtal. The 33-year-old guide arrived with six guests, the second followed a short time later with the rest of the participants.
Participant injured in crash
Shortly after 2 p.m., the first group finally entered impassable, “trench-like” terrain. “The ski guide was the first in the group to slide down the approximately 40 to 45 degree steep slide. A 26-year-old Austrian in fourth place suddenly slipped, fell and injured his right elbow,” police said.
One participant immediately made an emergency call. The injured person was eventually recovered with a rescue helicopter and flown to the district hospital of Reutte.
Colleagues did not dare to go further
But that’s not all: due to the steepness of the parachute and the fallen colleague, the rest of the group did not dare to go any further. The woman therefore made a second emergency call. Due to the weather conditions, however, a rescue by the police helicopter was no longer possible at this time. However, two mountain rescuers were able to be dropped off over the channel.
The operation took five and a half hours
The emergency services eventually managed to secure the freeriders with ropes. The rescue helicopter, which was then alerted, was finally able to winch both the alpinists and the mountain rescuers out of the canal and deposit them in the Bodenalpe area. From there, all people were taken to Kaisers by the mountain rescue service. The recovery of the freeriders took all together five and a half (!) hours and was not finished until around 7.30 pm!
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
