One can certainly speak of a miracle: a Belgian hiker who had been missing in the Tyrolean Karwendel Mountains since Thursday was found alive and rescued on Sunday morning during a search in the so-called Vomper Loch, suffering from severe hypothermia. The rescue came almost at the last minute.
He spent All Souls’ Day in the winter room of the Lamsenjochhütte and sent photos to his brother in Belgium. He was last seen in the Lamsenjoch area on November 2, by two French alpinists. Then the 55-year-old, who wanted to cross the Karwendel in Scharnitz on October 29, apparently disappeared without a trace.
He stopped contacting his brother and did not return to Belgium on Saturday, as announced. That is why the brother called the police in Schwaz on Saturday evening.
Fresh snow made searches more difficult
A major night search was immediately launched. While the Scharnitz mountain rescue service searched the Karwendel from the west, 18 mountain rescuers from Schwaz combed Lamsenjoch and Vomper Loch. “There was 30 centimeters of fresh snow around the Lamsenjoch hut, so the overnight operation was correspondingly demanding,” says Fred Wallenta, head of the mountain rescue service in Schwaz and the surrounding area. At 4:30 am the search had to be stopped without results.
Body temperature only 32 degrees
About two hours later, the mountain rescuers made another attempt, supported by the Libelle Tirol police helicopter. Pilot Walter Strolz took off with two mountain rescuers on a search flight to Vomper Loch. And indeed: the completely soaked Belgian was huddled at about 1,100 meters between the hunting lodge and the Lochhüttl. He managed to attract the attention of the rescuers.
“He was unresponsive, had a foot injury and his body temperature was only 32 degrees,” Wallenta said. “The man was shaking from top to bottom.” The dragonfly was able to land on the victim and then flew the 55-year-old to the rescue heliport in Schwaz. The rescue team was already waiting there and took him to the hospital.
“The hiker, who was quite well rested, was assisted by a guardian angel. He probably wouldn’t have survived the next few hours,” Wallenta said. The experienced mountain rescuer wonders whether the foot injury was the reason that the Belgian got into trouble in the mountains. “Probably not, because on the route between Lamsenjoch and Vomper Loch he could have descended to Karwendelrast in an emergency.
Two search missions in one week
“There is currently no time left for such a Karwendel crossing,” Wallenta warns. No wonder: last Tuesday, a young German woman got into trouble in the mountains during a similar trip. The Schwaz mountain rescue service found the woman unharmed after a search in the Halleranger area.
“Someone will help me”
Wallenta attributes the fact that there are still hikers in the area in November to the trend of the time. “People expect a lot because they believe that someone will help them in an emergency,” he criticizes. The photos and reports on social media would always attract more people to the mountains. The result: a dramatic increase in the number of mountain rescuers deployed.
100 instead of 10 missions per year
“I have been a local branch manager in Schwaz for 25 years. In strong years we had about ten missions. Up to 100 missions per year are now almost normal,” he says. Finding the necessary number of volunteer rescuers is not easy.
No mobile network in Vomper Loch: “Yes belong to the cat!”
Wallenta also warns against relying on your mobile phone in an emergency in Vomper Loch. “It used to be said that anyone who got into trouble in Vomper Loch was dead,” says Wallenta. This saying actually still applies because there is no functioning mobile network there. In any case, the Belgian had all the luck in the world on his side.
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.
