Mountain rescuers fought for the life of a mountaineer in Tyrol’s Ötztal. The rescuer flew in from Liechtenstein that night, as Tyrolean helicopters are usually only in use until 22:30.
Four Tyrolean alpinists had to endure anxious hours last Sunday evening. The Tyroleans were on the Forchheimer Weg from Roppen to the Erlanger Hütte, a 46-year-old suffered from symptoms that resembled those of altitude sickness. Their condition worsened and the group sought shelter in a bivouac box (2443 m). From there, the Tyroleans raised the alarm at around 22:15.
The woman’s condition became increasingly worse
“I spoke to one of the woman’s companions on the phone, the woman had been suffering from the symptoms for an hour and a half and it was getting worse,” says Thomas Vitroler, head of operations at the Sautens-Haiming-Roppen mountain rescue service. Vitroler tried to alert an emergency helicopter directly via the Tyrolean control center. Vitroler: “But they said that there was no more helicopter available.”
Mountain rescuers from Sautens and Imst and a mountain rescue doctor went up to see the patient in the rain and darkness. “I tried to get a helicopter again around 22:45, but got the same negative answer.”
Mountain rescue doctor stabilized patient
Meanwhile, about twenty mountain rescuers arrived at the victim’s house and the doctor managed to stabilize the patient. Transport by land would have been too risky; the woman had to wait until sunrise for a helicopter to be ready for use.
But the period of suffering was shortened. “Well after midnight, we received information from the control center that a medical emergency helicopter from Balzers in Liechtenstein was approaching,” says Vitroler. And indeed: around 2:45 a.m., “Christoph Liechtenstein” landed on a small meadow right next to the bivouac box. The emergency services loaded the woman into the helicopter, which flew her to the nearby Zams hospital.
“Christoph Liechtenstein”, supported by the Swiss Alpine Air Ambulance, is – unlike the Tyrolean medical emergency helicopters – available for use 24 hours a day. Theoretically, the Tyrolean helicopters could also carry out night missions, but there is no night operation. The Reutte station of the RK-2 is occupied the longest in the evening – until 22:30. However, the RK-2 could not take over the mission due to the weather at the time the alarm was raised.
46 years old already home
Fortunately, the patient has already left the hospital. However, if you do not have mountain insurance, things become extremely expensive. The Swiss guard their rates as a banking secrecy; with us, a flight minute costs around 120 euros. A bill of 20,000 euros would be conceivable. In addition, there are the operational costs of mountain rescues. All in all, it could even exceed the insurance payment, which is limited to 25,000 euros.
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.
