Drama on the Donnerkogel (Upper Austria). A Hungarian (61) and his son (25) climbed the via ferrata there despite a thunderstorm warning. The two were surprised by a storm. After a lightning strike, the father fell several hundred meters down – he could only be rescued dead.
The 61-year-old Hungarian went with his 25-year-old son on the Intersport via ferrata to the Donnerkogel in the municipality of Gosau am Dachstein on Friday. The two holidaymakers took the Gosaukammbahn to the Zwieselalm and started their project there around noon.
They knew of the impending danger
The two men were aware of the weather forecast and the predicted bad weather front; because according to their information this was only predicted around 3 p.m., they decided to do the via ferrata earlier. The 25-year-old had a lot of experience; this was his father’s first via ferrata. But then things got dramatic: around 1:30 p.m. they were surprised by a thunderstorm. Fearing a lightning strike, the 61-year-old detached his via ferrata set from the steel cable and continued his way unprotected along the passage under the famous ladder to heaven.
Lightning struck
His son was only a few meters behind him, but he continued uphill, secured by his via ferrata set. Fifteen minutes later, lightning struck the via ferrata above the two mountaineers. The 25-year-old immediately felt the electric impulse. Then he suddenly saw his father fall right in front of him. He immediately called the emergency services.
Mountain rescuers have found body
Eight men from the Federal Republic of Gosau and an officer from the Gmunden Alpine Task Force then went to the accident scene. During a search flight by the medical emergency helicopter, the 25-year-old was found at around 15:15 and his father was found a few hundred meters away. The 25-year-old was rescued by the crew of the emergency helicopter and then flown to the hospital to be examined for his lightning injuries. The rescue of the deceased 61-year-old was carried out by the crew of the Salzburg aviation police.
Source: Krone
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