They were drunkenly descending from the Wurzeralm, then one of the snowshoe hikers lost a shoe sole and they parted ways. It all ended in a major search that ended unexpectedly and cost the walkers dearly.
At 7:10 p.m. on Thursday, Windischgarsten police and the mountain rescue centers Spital am Pyhrn and Windischgarsten were ordered to search for the Wurzeralm in the municipality of Spital am Pyhrn in Upper Austria. Two snowshoe hikers from Styria, who had climbed to the Wurzeralm via the Hintersteineralm, had made the descent again after a stay in a hut. The youngest of the two hikers, a 30-year-old from the Liezen district, lost a shoe sole, after which he only chose the supposedly easier route over the ski slope into the valley.
Wanderer made an emergency call about a missing friend
His 43-year-old companion, also from the Liezen district, descended at dusk to the Hintersteineralm and then drove his car to the valley station of the Wurzeralm cable car, where he waited for his friend. However, when he did not appear at the agreed meeting point after a long wait, he made the distress call.
Mountain rescuers could follow tracks up to the main road
A total of 25 mountain rescuers from the local offices of Spital am Pyhrn and Windischgarsten, the piste service of the mountain railways and the Alpine police went in search of the 30-year-old snowshoe hiker. During the large-scale search, an experienced mountain rescuer, walking on touring skis along the forest road to the Hintersteineralm, noticed footprints in the snow, one of which was clearly missing its sole. Since these traces could be traced almost to the national highway 138, it could be assumed that the missing person was no longer in the mountain area.
Found very drunk in a pub
With the help of his companion, the man was eventually found in a pretty drunken state in a cafe in Liezen. An alcohol test was not done, the officers noticed that he was drunk – but legally that doesn’t matter because he would have been alone on foot. According to his statements, he had walked the long way from the Pyhrn Pass to there. The snowshoe hiker will likely have to pay the cost of the search out of pocket as there is no insurance coverage. The drunk companion of the missing, who had drunk 0.7 promille, is reported according to the driving license law – after all, he drove the car.
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.
