Hikers from Germany dies tragically when promoting in Austria

Hikers from Germany dies tragically when promoting in Austria

Sarotlahütte, Österreich - A tragic incident in the Austrian Alps cost a German hiker. The 50-year-old was on his way to the Sarotlahütte on June 17 when he could not start a planned return over the Zimbajoch on the valley on June 18. Relatives reported the man on June 21 as missing, which caused the Vorarlberg police to initiate an extensive search in the Sarotlatal and Rellstal.

The accident occurred on a shipy surface, where the hiker lost the hold and fell into an approximately 50 degree steep rock channel. According to the investigation, he suffered fatal injuries. Vandan's mountain rescue finally found his body in a rock -enforced steep channel south of the Zimbajoch and barg him with a police helicopter.

hiking accidents in Austria in focus

This tragic story is not alone. As alpineSicherheit.at reports, over 8,000 alpine accidents are recorded in an anonymized database annually. This data comes from the Austrian Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety (ÖKAS) and the alpine police. Your results offer valuable information on accident research and prevention. In the reporting period, which ranges from November 1 to October 31 of the following year, all accidents, including the deadly with suspicion of external negligence, are recorded.

compares the statistics, a worrying trend is shown: according to bergundstieg.com in the last winter months, from November 2023 to April 2024, an increase in the accident compared to the previous year. A total of 16 people died when hiking, which indicates that serious accidents can happen even on supposedly harmless hikes.

detailed accident statistics

The statistics also show that the gender ratio is mostly male in the event of accidents in Austria. Of the 106 fatal alpinists, 86 men were. In the case of the injured, the proportion of men is 54 %, while 44 % women are affected. It is particularly striking that 63 % of accidents passed on slopes and ski routes. This shows that accidents in the mountains affect not only hikers, but also skiers and tourers, with collisions and falls being common causes of accidents.

cardiovascular disorders are the most common cause of death. Especially in winter, as can be seen from the data of last season, many accidents occurred in the colder months, which underlines the dangers through unpredictable weather conditions.

It remains to be hoped that such fates can be avoided in the future and that hikers will be better informed about the risks of mountain sports. The tragic loss will move many people in the community and is an impressive reminder that can have even cozy hikes in the mountains.