Due to a technical defect caused by the heavy storm front, the gondolas in the ski and hiking area Schlick 2000 in the Tyrolean Stubai Valley came to a standstill on Tuesday afternoon, as was reported extensively. An eyewitness trapped in a gondola described the disturbing scenes on the “Krone” and also criticized the rescue operation. The emergency services, who showed tireless efforts on the spot, are now responding to this.
“Just a little bit was missing and the whole thing would have ended in a catastrophe with many dead and seriously injured.” With this statement, the stricken Tyrolean made people sit up and pay attention. He was trapped in a gondola for about three hours with his wife and two children, ages 10 and 13. A situation that is unacceptable in his eyes. “From here we experienced the storm up close. It really wasn’t fun. It felt like we were being thrown a meter left and right. That was extremely scary,” he emphasized, concluding: “Despite the rescue operation, a comprehensive new rescue concept is needed in such situations!”
As also reported, the management and factory management of Schlick 2000 refuted these critical statements: however, due to the persistent, strong storm, this was not possible by helicopter for safety reasons. As a result, the guests had to be rescued from the gondolas off the ground. The access roads here were completely blocked by the many fallen trees. These first had to be cleared by the Fulpmes and Telfes fire brigades and a construction company with excavators. This has taken some time. The rescue chain also worked well, according to all operations managers.
‘Wind peaks of up to 240 km/h were measured’
Now the emergency services are speaking out for themselves. “We did not experience the operation as dramatically as the eyewitness describes it,” says Florian Schöpf, deputy district manager of the Innsbruck-Land mountain rescue service, adding: “The fact is that there were countless fallen trees, wind peaks of speeds were measured up to 240 km/h and the weather situation was actually very difficult.”
52 mountain rescuers, 37, paramedics and Co.
A total of 52 mountain rescuers from various local offices were present, forming 18 BergBerge teams. “That happened on the ground because a rescue with the Christophorus 1 and the Libelle was simply not possible due to the weather. The pilots had tried several times to save the deaf. And we first had to make sure whether it was even possible to enter the site Schopf emphasises. In total, the emergency services rescued 42 people, one of whom was slightly injured and treated by the rescue services. “The operation process worked very well, for these difficult conditions, the terrestrial rescue of all those affected was extremely fast,” says the mountain rescuer. The official end of the salvage was at 7:37 PM.
“The crisis intervention team was very well on site”
The Red Cross, on the other hand, was at the middle station with a total of 37 paramedics, two emergency doctors and four employees of the crisis intervention team, where a supply tent had been set up. “It is therefore not the case that there was no care on site for the rescued. All emergency services have tried very hard from the start,” emphasizes Schöpf.
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.
