Skis like puzzle pieces – tourers (61) still missing in the Zillertal

Several searches by the Alpine police, the mountain rescue services Mayrhofen and Ginzling and the police helicopter Libelle Tirol were unsuccessful. The suspicion of an avalanche accident was not confirmed, rather a fall seemed to have been the reason for the disappearance of the experienced alpinist.

Crash towards Sundergrund
The discovery of the two skis and a ski pole on a steep slope below the summit at least shed some light on the darkness of the matter. So the missing person should probably be near Sundergrund.

Victim was not wearing skis
“The skis were – a little apart – about 30 meters above the ski pole, which was buried 1.3 meters below the snowpack,” says Florian Bauernfeind, chief of the Alpine police in the Schwaz district. “According to our assumptions, he was wearing the skis at the time of the accident, skins were not attached.”

Columns are currently snowed in
The 61-year-old may have slipped and then fallen into a crevasse. “There are crevices under the flank where the skis were found, but they are currently covered with fresh snow and wind transport,” says Bauernfeind.

Hoping for melting snow
“The above-average snow conditions did not allow recent searches,” he regrets. “In any case, the crew of the Libelle Tirol always keep an eye on the area. As soon as a crevasse opens up or there are empty spaces, the search is resumed together with the mountain rescue service.” The predicted nice weather should probably speed up the snowmelt.

Then use a steam probe with a camera attached. “We use it to get into a crevasse up to 20 meters deep and see if the victim is there,” says the alpine police officer.