Despite large amounts of snow, three German climbers wanted to cross the Kopftörlgrat to the Elmauer Halt (2344 m) in Tyrol on Sunday. They progressed much too slowly because of the snow and got stuck in the emergency descent in the evening. The medical emergency helicopter RK-2 rescued them from their predicament during a spectacular night operation.
“Even in summer it is difficult to find your way on this classic climbing route on the Wilder Kaiser,” says Christian Treichl, local branch manager of the Scheffau/Söllandl mountain rescue service. Only absolute experts on the route can cope with snow conditions like the current ones.
First alarm at 7pm
The trio was clearly not one of them. The mountaineers first called the Tyrol control center around 7 p.m. They said they only needed telephone instructions for the emergency descent. “We advised them not to go any further and offered a daylight rescue with a helicopter – but they refused,” says mountain rescuer Treichl.
The medical emergency helicopter RK-2, stationed in Reutte in the Ausserfern region, which can carry out rescue operations at night using a cable winch, was currently approaching Hüttau at the request of Salzburg. “We had to rescue three mountaineers from difficult terrain when the request from the Tyrolean control center for the Wilder Kaiser came in at around 9:20 p.m.,” says pilot Herbert Graf.
From Salzburg to the “Koasa”
After the successful rescue operation in Hüttschlag, the RK-2 flew towards the Wilder Kaiser. “We refueled at the C 4 base in Reith and then prepared the rescue operation for the three Germans on Kopftörlgrat, who were on the steepest terrain,” says Graf.
“The trio was stuck at a crossroads and in partly overhanging terrain,” describes flight rescuer Elmar Flatz of RK-2. When we arrived at the scene at an altitude of about 2,000 meters, it had to happen quickly. Flatz was lowered to the trio with the winch, and pilot Graf hovered above with the machine. Flatz: “We performed a cutting rescue. As soon as a climber was hooked to me, I interrupted his safety and the winch operator pulled us into the machine – three times in a row.”
Icy night threatened
The spectacular rescue near the wall lasted no longer than about 20 minutes. The helicopter then flew the trio to Elmau, where the Scheffau/Söllandl mountain rescue service lit up the landing site and waited for the climbers. “They seemed clearly unharmed, but nervously exhausted,” says Flatz.
If the RK-2 had not been able to fly, the Germans would have faced an icy night. “Because of the snow, an operation on land could not have been carried out for safety reasons,” emphasizes mountain rescue chief Treichl.
Back to Reutte
The crew of the RK-2 finally arrived at the Reutte base on the other side of Tyrol after midnight – with two successful rescue missions for six mountaineers in two federal states to their credit.
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.
