In heavy snowfall and wind: mountain rescue service rescues a hiking couple with a helicopter

Created: 02/27/2022, 21:27

By: Tanja Kipke

The "Christoph 14" helicopter brought the two exhausted hikers back down into the valley.

© Leitner, BRK BGL

Two hikers from Franconia went astray at the weekend.

The mountain rescue rescued the couple with the helicopter - and that in heavy snowfall and wind.

Bayerisch Gmain – A couple from Lower Franconia went hiking on Saturday afternoon (February 26) in the Berchtesgaden Alps.

In the middle of the way, the two 24-year-olds lost sight of the snow-covered trail, as the BRK reports.

They kept getting stuck without skis or snowshoes and eventually couldn't get any further in the deep snow.

Too exhausted and at the end of their strength from the icy wind, they made an emergency call.

The Bad Reichenhall mountain rescue service set off straight away.

However, the rescue was not easy because of the weather.

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Mountain rescue mission in the Alps: Heli brings hikers back to the valley

"Due to the poor visibility at times with clouds and heavy snow showers on the mountain, a mountain rescue team took the cable car to the Predigtstuhl and then descended to the duo with a rope," says the report.

Meanwhile, the rescue helicopter "Christoph 14" took off and quickly discovered the two hikers on the mountain.

The dismounted emergency services secured the two 24-year-olds in rescue seats.

The helicopter then picked up a rescuer and a hiker with the winch in two approaches and flew them into the valley.

The second rescue was particularly challenging because suddenly heavy snowfall and wind started again and visibility deteriorated.

"The foot crew of the mountain rescue service therefore waited in the Schlegelmulde to see whether the helicopter rescue would actually work due to the weather," reports the mountain rescue service.

An ambulance took over the two uninjured, but freezing and already slightly hypothermic hikers at the landing site and took them to a clinic for examination.