How bad! A gust of wind uprooted a 15-metre tree on the popular Hochsteinalm near Traunkirchen in Upper Austria. The trunk fell on a kindergarten group who were walking there. Twelve little ones managed to escape, but a six-year-old girl was hit and seriously injured in the head.
A kindergarten group from Gmunden walked to the Hochsteinalm in the municipality of Traunkirchen on Friday. 13 preschoolers, together with their caregivers and other family members, climbed from the parking lot on the Mühlbachberg along the forest road in the direction of the Hochsteinalm excursion destination. Just before leaving, the adults checked the weather and decided to do the hike based on the forecast.
Suddenly the wind picked up
After about a kilometer of climbing along the forest road, the wind suddenly picked up. A tree about 15 meters long and up to 30 cm thick was uprooted by a gust of wind on the mountainside of the road and fell towards the kindergarten group. Most of the children were able to get to safety thanks to the yelling of the adults. Unfortunately, a six-year-old girl from Gmunden district was hit directly on the head by the falling tree and was seriously injured.
Paramedic happened to be there
The girl’s father accompanied the group and immediately ran back to the starting point after the accident to get his car. Meanwhile, the injured person received first aid from another attendant, fortunately a trained paramedic. The preschool child was then transported by car a mile further up the mountain to a suitable helipad.
Picked up by helicopter in the pouring rain
Despite the heavy rain that had meanwhile set in, the team of the emergency medical helicopter “Martin 3” was able to land there and, together with the rescue team from Gmunden, who had also been alerted, immediately set to work to stabilize the girl. . She was then flown to a hospital in Linz for further care. After the incident, the toddler group and their supervisors were taken care of by the crisis intervention team of the Red Cross.
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.
