Mountaineer Hans Goger was on a Kilimanjaro trek when an Austrian (27) suffered from altitude sickness not far from his route and died in a hospital in Tanzania. The Burgenlander and his group were never in danger, but still witnessed some of the dramatic events.
“We noticed the helicopter operation when we were in the camp. We only found out later what exactly happened,” Hans Goger reports via mobile phone from far-away Africa. The mountaineer, who was the first Burgenlander to climb Mount Everest – then 8,850 meters high – on June 2, 2005 at 8:30 am, now led a nature lovers tour to Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) in Tanzania. They went back and forth for six days, accompanied by seven women and four men.
The red-white-red team was already on its way back when disaster struck in another group. As reported, Philipp P. from Schwand im Innkreis (Upper Austria) wanted to climb the highest mountain in Africa with two friends. During the climb, altitude sickness brought him to his knees and the 27-year-old died in a hospital in Tanzania.
Numerous questions for Goger
When the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death of the Austrian and the sad news officially circulated, there was immediate concern among the travel team around Hans Goger: “I received a number of questions about it. Many friends and acquaintances wanted to know if we were doing well.”
The experienced mountaineer managed to calm everyone down. But not everyone on his team reached the top either. Four companions had to give up because the tension became too great. “I had a guide descend with someone to 4,000 meters because he was no longer feeling well and was showing symptoms of weakness,” says Hans Goger.
The pitfalls of the unusually high altitudes should not be underestimated. “I always have a pulse oximeter with me, which shows the oxygen level in the body. Under normal conditions, the value is 95 to 100 percent. As soon as the medical device indicates 70 percent, the person concerned must return to the camp,” the extreme athlete explains.
His tip: take your time, even if you still have a safari trip in Tanzania and a visit to Zanzibar ahead of you! ‘Pole, pole’, as they say on Kilimanjaro, which means ‘slow, slow’. It is now a mystery why Philipp P., a young, healthy man, had to die during a relatively easy mountain trip without major climbing.
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.
