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Tragic accident: Father and son are surprised by a lightning strike while climbing in the Alps. The man had previously removed his safety harness.
Gosau/Austria – Terrible accident near the Austrian community of Gosau, which has a population of 1,841: On Friday (July 12), a father and his son from Hungary were injured while climbing in the Alps. While the 61-year-old died, the 25-year-old was injured. This is according to a statement from the State Police Directorate Upper Austria Recently, another father and his son went on a fatal hiking trip.
Drama on mountain tour in Austria: Climbers defy storm warning – father removes safety harness
The two holidaymakers knew that a bad weather front was forecast for the afternoon and so wanted to tackle the via ferrata beforehand. They set off for the Donnerkogel around midday. They arrived at Zwieselalm by cable car at midday and began the climbing section. While the son already had experience in climbing, it was the father’s first via ferrata. Just below the so-called “Stairway to Heaven” a storm surprised them at around 1.30 p.m. The father released his climbing safety device from the steel cable for fear of being struck by lightning and continued unsecured – closely followed by his secured son.
Father falls 150 meters into the depths onto rocks – son manages to save himself
A mistake with serious consequences. A quarter of an hour later, lightning struck the climbing path above them. The 25-year-old reported to the police that he had immediately felt an electric impulse. His father must have felt this too. He lost control and fell over several rock steps about 150 meters down and fell on gravel, as the Mountain rescue Gosau announced on Facebook.
The son was able to escape via the emergency exit and – after the weather situation had calmed down a bit – was flown to a hospital by a rescue helicopter. To investigate the lightning strike injuries, according to the police. The father, on the other hand, could only be recovered dead.
Difficulty level – “Stairway to Heaven” not easy even for professionals
The climb itself is five kilometres long and has an elevation gain of over 540 metres and takes around three hours to complete. The level of difficulty is difficult. The “Stairway to Heaven” is best climbed from June to September. “It glitters in the sun, seems endless and swings a little with every step,” writes Home of Travel.
The most difficult part of the Himmelsleiter is at the very end, before you reach the summit of the Grosser Donnerkogel at an altitude of around 2,000 metres. From there you can admire the area from the Dachstein to the Großglockner.
Recently, a mysterious hunting accident involving a father and son raised questions. (pls)
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