Mountain rescuers in the Karwendel: dramatic missions when there is a risk of thunderstorm!
Mountain rescuers in the Karwendel: dramatic missions when there is a risk of thunderstorm!
thunderstorms in the mountains are a serious danger. So it recently experienced a mountaineer from Dachau, who was in need in the Karwendel on Monday. The 40-year-old was on the Karwendelsteig between the Mittenwalder Hütte (1518 m) and the Karwendelbahn mountain station when a sudden thunderstorm surprised him. At around 3 p.m. he chose the emergency call because he was exhausted and without protection against the storm. The Mittenwald mountain rescue service reacted immediately, and a team of four led by Alois Ostler set off to save the man. While two emergency services graduated, their colleagues observed the weather conditions from the gondola.
Immediately after the thunderstorm, the mountain residents managed to get the exhausted hiker safely into the gondola. This was not the only rescue operation these days: just a day before, on Corpus Christi Day, the rescue workers also saved two women from the Munich area. In the dark, they had struggled to the Brunnsteinhütte (1560 m), one of the women was injured and the other exhausted. Their emergency call reached the emergency services around 9:30 p.m. A helicopter from the ARA air rescue from Reutte/Tirol was alerted and was able to carry out wind resources in time in the dark.
increased risks in bad weather conditions
The reports on the missions indicate an alarming increase in dangerous situations in the Austrian Alps. Special caution is advised, as experts note, because the weather can change in the mountains at lightning speed. An incident from the apron in which four hikers at Mittenwalder Gjaidsteig were stuck in hip -high snow also speaks volumes. After an emergency call had been received, the mountain rescue and its Austrian colleagues from Scharnitz first tried to save the hikers across the country path. Due to the high avalanche risk, however, they had to give up this plan, and the hikers then had to endure a night in the snow.
On Monday morning, the weather improved and a rescue from the air was possible. The ADAC helicopter "Christoph Murnau" was alerted and was able to save the four heavily hypothermic hikers within an hour. They were then brought to the Garmisch-Partenkirchen hospital, where they were medical care.
safety tips for hikers
In view of these incidents, the mountain rescue guard asks for increased attention and planning before hikes, especially in winter. Winni Kurzeder, mountain guide of the German Alpine Club, advises to find out more about weather conditions. "With wind strengths over 20 km/h and precipitation over four to five milliliters per hour, it is better to step back one step," said Kurzeder. He recommends taking a necessary basic equipment: firm footwear, anorak, gloves, sufficient water and a bivouac bag in the event of unexpected weather deteriorations.If the conditions worsen or hikers get forward more slowly than expected, you should turn back better. The mountain rescue service, accessible via emergency call 112, can only be alerted if you can no longer descend on your own. It is advisable to get help at an early stage before the situation really becomes critical.
The emergency number 112 is free of charge in all EU countries and connects the caller directly to the emergency services, fire brigade or police. It is important to know that there are no special emergency numbers for mountain athletes, because 112 is also considered central contact in the Alps.
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| Ort | Mittenwald, Deutschland |
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