Despite bad weather, a holidaymaker from Germany climbed the Tyrolean Alps. He has been missing since Thursday. An initial search was unsuccessful.
Tyrol – Although it began to snow heavily, a mountaineer from Germany is said to have continued his tour in the Tyrolean Alps (Austria). Like the Austrian radio ORF reported that a 21-year-old has been missing since Thursday evening (October 3rd). The man is said to have even called for help himself. After an initial unsuccessful search, telephone contact with him was lost.
Despite sudden snowfall: German mountaineer continues walking and is now missing
The young mountaineer and a companion set off towards the Munde summit from the Rauth Hut car park. When heavy snow began to fall in the early afternoon, the companion stopped the tour. But the 21-year-old went on, they say ORF.
He reached the eastern summit at around 4 p.m., but immediately asked his friend for help via voice message. He should make an emergency call. But the bad weather conditions did not allow the rescue workers to ascend in a helicopter. A 27-person team from the Tyrolean mountain rescue team set out to look for him on foot.
Initially there was telephone contact – missing German mountaineer is probably injured
Initially there was contact with the man by telephone. According to the report, he was now also in physical distress. He informed the rescue workers over the phone that he was injured after slipping in the snow chaos and falling about 70 to 100 meters deep.
The rescue team did not find the man at around 2,500 meters, where he was expected to be. They said they had to stop the search around 9 p.m. due to weather conditions. The mountain rescuers resumed the search on Friday, but telephone contact could no longer be established. The conditions still did not allow a search from the air. Finally, the rescue workers had to abort the operation again without success.
Recently, mountaineers had an accident in the Alps after being surprised by snow. They themselves triggered an avalanche and a man was killed.
Danger of hypothermia: Missing person, helpless in the snow for over a day
Where the young man comes from is unknown, as is his level of experience in mountaineering. According to an evaluation by the German Alpine Association (DAV) from March 2024, more than a third of mountaineers seeking help end up in distress because they are overwhelmed. Eight percent would be surprised by the weather.
It is possible that the man became disoriented due to the thick snow. As the DAV writes, this is the cause of every second person who makes an emergency call. Either way: a battle against the clock gradually begins for the missing person. Because with each passing day the probability of rescue decreases. The weather in particular can be dangerous for the 21-year-old.
“Wind or wet clothes quickly lead to cooling down,” writes the DAV in an information article about the serious problem of hypothermia. “Sufficient clothing, first aid kits with a rescue blanket and a light bivouac bag can then be life-saving.” Nothing is known about the man’s equipment. At the beginning of September, a chain of accidents cost the lives of four holidaymakers from Germany in Austria. (rku)
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