14 hours in a snow trap: rescue on the Hochkönig slope in Austria

In the Hochkönig array in Austrian Alps, a complex 14-hour rescue operation for a 20-year-old citizen German has been completed. The young man set off on a difficult route Königsjodler with two companions, despite the unfavorable weather forecast and warnings from another climber.

At around 2,600 meters, the climber became exhausted and called emergency services at around 7:00 p.m. His two companions did not stop and continued up, reaching the Matrashaus refuge at 2,941 meters that same night, which was already closed for the winter.

Due to stormy weather, the rescue helicopter was unable to take off. The mountain rescue team from Mühlbach set off on foot into the mountains and, in conditions of heavy snowfall, reached the exhausted tourist shortly before midnight. About 20 centimeters of fresh snow had fallen, the trail had disappeared, and the risk of collapse had increased significantly due to zero visibility.

The victim was tied to a safety rope and slowly led down through the snowdrifts. The group reached the mountain shelter Erichhütte only at 08:18 in the morning. According to the management of the rescue service of the Pongau district, the climber would hardly have survived another night on the mountain in such weather conditions.