“We can’t reach them anyway”: Salzburg’s mountain rescuers are desperate because of the many incorrigible hikers. On Sunday alone, there were four calls from holidaymakers who had underestimated the current conditions. Young people even wanted to conquer a via ferrata in sneakers.
And once again our rescuers have to risk their lives because naive holidaymakers don’t care about equipment and planning. Three sneaker mountaineers (18 and 19) from Belgium and Israel were rescued on Monday evening from the Donnerkogel in Annaberg: they were not properly equipped and had not prepared themselves properly. The trio actually wanted to see the sunset from the mountain, but the athletes overestimated themselves. According to the Salzburg mountain rescue report, it took them “twice as long” to climb.
Wet and tired, they were stuck at the end of the via ferrata and alerted the Annaberg mountain rescue service at around 9:30 p.m. “The three men were completely exhausted, hypothermic and could no longer descend independently, not even on the rope. They were only wearing light shoes and the snow was still up to their waists in some places,” explains Werner Quehenberger, district manager in Tennengau. Fourteen mountain rescuers and alpine police climbed to the trio and brought clothing, tea and equipment. At first it was unclear whether the helicopter would be able to take off in the dark, but in the end the crew of the C14 rescue helicopter from Nöblarn, Styria, succeeded. Thanks to the helicopter, the young people reached the valley again late in the evening.
Four helicopter missions in just one Sunday
The naivety of these mountaineers almost leads the volunteer mountain rescuers to resignation: you can’t reach these people, says Quehenberger. The day before, mountain rescuers in Hüttschlag (St. Johann im Pongau district) had to save a family that had been auctioned: the four people from Linz hiked to the Spielkogel at 2,144 meters. Due to all the snow, they lost their orientation because they wanted to take a shortcut. The emergency call came in at 6:00 p.m., but the connection was lost.
A family member, a teenager, was located and rescued by the police helicopter. The other three had to wait for several hours because no other helicopter was available. It was not until around 1:00 that a helicopter from Reutte in Tyrol was able to rescue the hikers with the rope.
For one reason: On Sunday there were two more helicopter missions in the Inner Mountains. A German woman (69) fell 15 meters into a ditch while hiking with her grandson (18) in the Hochkönig area and injured herself. She was rescued by the rescue helicopter and flown to the hospital, as was another German hiker (63), who with her husband (73) could no longer continue on the Hundstein at 2,050 meters because of snow fields.
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.
