Search operation for 62-year-old mountaineer in the Austrian Alps!

Search operation for 62-year-old mountaineer in the Austrian Alps!

A dramatic search scenario is currently unfolding on the main Tauern ridge, where a 62-year-old German mountaineer is missing. According to the Salzburg mountain rescue website, the alpinist died on Sunday, September 7th Hanover House stayed overnight, which is located at an altitude of 2,565 meters in the municipality of Mallnitz in Carinthia. On Monday morning he noted in the hut log that his next destination was the Ali Lanti bivouac at 2,663 meters. After that, however, his trace was lost.

The alpinist's friends raised the alarm after he stopped responding to their WhatsApp messages. The last sign of life came from Monday at 4:58 p.m. - a photo from the summit of the “Schwarzkopf” (3,171 meters) testifies to his tireless pursuit of climbing his six thousandth summit this year. So far, the experienced mountaineer has already climbed 5,500 peaks.

Extensive search operation

On Friday, two police helicopters from the Salzburg and Klagenfurt state police flew the search area between the Hannoverhaus and the Tischlerkarkopf, but without any results. The search operation was intensified on Saturday morning: a total of more than 30 mountain rescuers, including 12 from Bad Gastein, as well as alpine police and police helicopters, went on the search again. Operations manager Andreas Kandler reported soberingly that nothing had been found so far.

The situation also shows a worrying trend in the Alps. As the South German newspaper shows, accidents in the mountain season have increased dramatically this year. Mountain rescuers like Markus Isser are constantly on duty, especially in the Tyrolean Alps, where more than twice as many people died in the summer of 2025 than in the previous year.

Causes and challenges for mountaineers

The causes of accidents are diverse. Overconfidence and unprepared adventures in inhospitable environments are often the main reason for critical situations. On the Italian side of the Alps, there were also alarming figures between late June and mid-July 2025 - at least 83 fatal accidents were recorded, meaning almost three deaths per day.

Given these alarming statistics, it is essential that mountaineers prepare well for their tours. Volunteers are increasingly finding themselves confronted with poorly prepared people who need to be rescued. The tragic incidents and the current search operation make it clear that every trip to the mountains should be approached with respect and careful planning.

Meanwhile, the mountain rescue service and the police are holding on to the hope of finding the missing mountaineer safely. The next few days will be crucial to make further progress in the search.