The Mexicans who got into trouble on the Innsbruck via ferrata on Saturday evening did not expect this service. First, the mountain rescue service from Innsbruck and the emergency doctor from the C1 brought the three into the valley, then the emergency services arranged the passports of the Mexicans, who were “locked” in a sports shop.
The Mexicans – father and adult son and daughter – boarded the via ferrata from Innsbruck to the Nordkette around 11 a.m. and made very slow progress. The father also hit his knee on a rock and was unable to move any further around 6 p.m. The trio raised the alarm.
No telephone contact possible
“We suspected that the alpinists were in the area between Kemmacher and Langer Sattel, but we could not reach them by phone,” said Bruno Berloffa, head of operations at the Innsbruck mountain rescue service. The mountain rescuers then contacted the crew of the emergency medical helicopter Christophorus 1, which took off for a search flight in darkness and fog. Of course it ended inconclusively.
“Despite the difficult conditions, the crew then offered to fly the four of us to the Long Saddle,” says Berloffa. From there, the mountain rescue quartet climbed towards Kemmacher and met the Mexican trio in the area around 8 p.m.
“The man’s injury was not that serious,” says Bruno Berloffa. “However, the Mexicans, who had no warm clothes, were very cold. We therefore put heating vests on it and then started the descent to the long saddle together.” With the support of the mountain rescuers, the man with a knee injury also came down.
Christophorus 1 then left Innsbruck again for the Long Saddle and flew the Mexicans into the valley. The injured person did not require medical care there. And although the fog continued to thicken, the helicopter then returned to the Nordkette and also flew the four emergency services into the city.
But the mission did not end there: the Mexicans were now faced with another problem: they had scheduled the train journey to Munich for the evening in order to fly back to Mexico on Sunday. The crux of the matter: their identity documents were in the Mammut store in the center of Innsbruck, where they had rented the via ferrata sets.
The store manager took the ID cards
As helpful as Innsbruck’s mountain rescuers are, Bruno Berloffa contacted store manager Doris Moser. She – just as helpful – immediately left a party after the phone call and drove to the store. From there she delivered the IDs to the Mexicans staying at a nearby hotel – perfect customer service!
Train connections examined
In the meantime, the mountain rescuers had investigated bus and train connections to Munich – and the three were actually on the train to the Bavarian metropolis late in the evening. The Mexicans have probably now returned to their home country.
“Our service was probably perfect”
“The collaboration with Christophorus 1 was perfect,” mountain rescuer Berloffa summarizes and smiles: “Our service for the Mexicans was probably the same.”
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.
