Unreason is celebrating its wedding in the mountains of Tyrol, the mountain rescuers have reached the limit. Tyrol’s mountain rescue chief Ekke Wimmer can imagine a special bill for operations caused by gross negligence. We also want to counteract this by creating awareness.
On Sunday, an American family had to be picked up via ferrata from Innsbruck. On Tuesday evening, the Scharnitz mountain rescuers went on an eight-hour mission because a German duo had climbed the Breitgrieskarscharte.
No time buffer planned
“The problem is usually poor trip planning,” says Christph Waltl, local branch manager of the Scharnitz mountain rescue service. “Many people do not take a time buffer into their walking time,” he criticizes. “If the walking time is extended for whatever reason, an emergency situation can arise.”
There are important items missing from the backpack
Scharnitzer’s mountain rescuers have received 36 warnings since the end of June this year. Waltl noticed that the alpinists had little idea of what belonged in their backpacks and what did not. “Many people travel with huge and heavy backpacks, but do not have the most necessary items with them, such as a rescue blanket or a first aid kit,” he criticizes.
The duo in Karwendel also dragged huge backpacks up. However, there seemed to be no heating equipment in them, because the two were extremely cold until the rescuers arrived.
Eight hours of night work, then back to work
It was not until 6:00 am that the operation ended after eight (!) hours, and a little later the eight mountain rescuers had to go back to work – without having had a single minute of sleep!
Local offices reach limits
The new regional director of the Tyrolean mountain rescue, Ekkehard Wimmer, knows that “some local authorities have reached their limits.” Overconfidence and a lack of travel planning are said to contribute to this.
The mountain rescue team now wants to counter this. “It would be conceivable to have a special invoice for rescue operations in the mountains that were necessary due to gross negligence,” says Ekke Wimmer.
Against the all-out mentality
“But we also focus on awareness,” he announces. The goal is to bring the topics of tour planning, training and mountain insurance as close as possible to those who climb the mountains with the “fully comprehensive mentality”.
Round table in autumn
And a round table discussion with State Security Councillor Astrid Mair (ÖVP) is planned for the autumn. It is expected that mountain rescue operations and the Alpine police will participate, among others. It will be discussed how to deal with those who get into trouble in the mountains due to gross negligence in the future.
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.
