Two young climbers fall to their deaths on the Tiefkarspitze - the innkeeper heard their screams

Created: 06/27/2022, 08:50

By: Peter Reinbold

Approaching: A police helicopter is approaching the scene of the accident on the Tierkarspitze.

© Bergwacht Mittenwald

A young woman (19) and a 20-year-old died in a mountain accident on the Tiefkarspitze near Mittenwald.

The landlord of the highland hut heard her screams.

Mittenwald - From the Hochlandhütte, which is located above Mittenwald (Garmisch-Partenkirchen district), there is a striking view of the Tiefkarspitze.

Every day, when landlord Stefan Müller goes about his work, his eyes often fall on the 2430 meter high mountain in the Karwendel between Bavaria and Tyrol.

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Since Saturday afternoon he has been looking at the Tiefkarspitze with completely different eyes and mixed feelings.

Müller witnessed the fall of a young woman (19) and her 20-year-old companion.

He heard the screams of the two, who are from the district of Dachau, and rocks breaking as they fell down.

According to Müller, there are "800 meters as the crow flies" between the crash site and the hut.

The innkeeper knew immediately that something bad had happened, and immediately informed the mountain rescue service and the police.

Karwendel: Climbers fall to their deaths

The emergency services, the Mittenwald station is manned throughout the day due to the ongoing G7 summit in Schloss Elmau, immediately started the machinery.

The Edelweiß 6 police helicopter, which arrived first at the scene of the accident, was initially able to use the winch to land the emergency doctor and a mountain rescuer at the lower site of the accident.

Another mountain watchman was flown to the second person, about 50 meters above, together with the emergency doctor of the rescue helicopter Christoph 17 from Kempten.

"For the man and the woman, any help came too late, they died at the scene of the accident," says Roland Ampenberger, press spokesman for the Mittenwald mountain rescue service.

The crew of the Edelweiß 6 police helicopter recovered the two dead and flew them into the valley.

According to Ampenberger, the place where the casualties were discovered is “a steep, rocky crag on the north-eastern side of the Tiefkarspitze at an altitude of around 1930 metres”.

Ampenberger leaves no doubt that the Tiefkarspitze requires mountaineering skills: "This is demanding and difficult terrain."

Climbers fall in the Karwendel - mountain rescuers are looking for other people

Ampenberger left unanswered the question of whether the two young people had the skills and were properly equipped.

"I can't say anything about that." For a long time it was unclear whether other people were involved in the accident, because in addition to Müller, other people also wanted to hear cries for help.

Therefore, seven mountain rescuers searched the hiking trails in the area of ​​​​the site.

The action was also supported in the early evening hours of Saturday by the use of a thermal imaging camera from the police helicopter.

"There were no indications of other people involved," Ampenberger said.

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The cause that led to the terrible accident is still completely open.

A mountain guide from the Alpine police task force has started the investigation.

Even Ampenberger can only speculate: "A misstep, a stone breakout - a lot is possible."

You can find more current news from the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen at Merkur.de/Garmisch-Partenkirchen.