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Drama at the Hochkalter: Rescuers find the missing person's backpack – the search continues

2022-09-25T02:52:10.799Z


Drama at the Hochkalter: Rescuers find the missing person's backpack – the search continues Created: 09/25/2022, 04:50 By: Felix Herz In snow, heavy rain, ice and fog, a large contingent including helicopters searched for a missing 24-year-old on the Hochkalter. Dramatic search for a 24-year-old : On Saturday, a young hiker from Lower Saxony fell on the Hochkalter and injured himself. The chan


Drama at the Hochkalter: Rescuers find the missing person's backpack – the search continues

Created: 09/25/2022, 04:50

By: Felix Herz

In snow, heavy rain, ice and fog, a large contingent including helicopters searched for a missing 24-year-old on the Hochkalter.

  • Dramatic search for a 24-year-old

    : On Saturday, a young hiker from Lower Saxony fell on the Hochkalter and injured himself.

  • The chances of finding him alive decrease

    : rescuers hope that the climber was able to build a cave.

  • Search continues

    :

    Backpack found - search continues.

Update from September 22, 8:47 a.m.:

A Eurofighter was also used on Wednesday to search for the missing climber.

You can read all the news about the search for the 24-year-old in our new ticker.

Drama at the Hochkalter: Rescuers find the missing person's backpack – the search continues

Update from September 22, 6:22 a.m .:

Two-digit minus degrees, snow storm and crash site: Rescuers have been looking for a mountaineer who had an accident (24) since Saturday.

The helpers don't give up, even when hope is fading.

But now they have a clue.

They could find the missing person on Thursday.

Thursday should bring the end of the agonizing uncertainty: the search for the young man will continue.

The day before, the helpers had tried to find the 24-year-old, who had already gotten into trouble on the Hochkalter on Saturday, using a special tracking device.

After the sonar device had initially put them on the wrong track and only a crashed weather balloon appeared under the snow, the rescuers found at least the backpack of the young man from Lower Saxony in the afternoon.

Missing climber on the Hochkalter - search continues

This allows the previously unknown whereabouts of the 24-year-old to be narrowed down.

Because the area was again surrounded by clouds after the backpack was found, no other mountain rescuers could be flown to the site for a more comprehensive search for the time being.

As a result, hopes of finding the climber alive continued to dwindle.

The 24-year-old slipped on Saturday at Hochkalter near Ramsau near Berchtesgaden.

He made an emergency call because he could hardly hold himself up in the steep terrain in the freezing cold and snowstorm.

Since then all contact has been lost.

It was impossible to search for him for days on foot or by helicopter because of the snowstorm and the corresponding risk of avalanches in the steep, high-Alpine terrain.

Good weather should finally prevail on Thursday.

Drama at the Hochkalter: Rescuers find the missing person's backpack – then the search has to be stopped

Update from September 21, 5:22 p.m .:

The rescue workers on the Hochkalter were able to secure the first signs of the mountaineer who had been missing since the weekend on Wednesday, despite adverse conditions.

A spokesman for the mountain rescue service confirmed on Wednesday afternoon to the dpa that they had found the missing 24-year-old's backpack.

However, because the area of ​​operation was then again surrounded by clouds, no further mountain rescuers could be flown to the site for the time being.

Furthermore, there is no trace of the missing person.

The search will probably continue on Thursday.

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Weather conditions and snow on the Hochkalter continue to complicate the search measures

Update from September 21, 3:44 p.m .:

When searching for the missing climber, the conditions are adverse because fresh snow has fallen again, explained a spokesman for the mountain rescue service.

The snow is now about one and a half meters deep, and there is no secure ground.

In the channels, the snow is a good three meters high.

Those responsible therefore consider the use of foot troops to be not yet effective and, despite all security measures, to be too risky.

At an altitude of 2400 to 2500 meters, where the 24-year-old is suspected, it was about minus 15 degrees in the morning.

Only when the casualty has been specifically located will rescue teams be sent to rescue him and bring him down into the valley, it said.

However, hopes of finding the 24-year-old alive are dwindling.

The search will continue until it gets dark, according to the BRK.

Update from September 21, 2:09 p.m .:

When searching for a mountaineer who had an accident on the Hochkalter in the Berchtesgaden Alps, rescue workers found a weather balloon in the deep snow.

"At least then you know that the system works," said a spokesman for the mountain rescue service on Wednesday.

The rescuers are therefore optimistic that they will also locate the missing 24-year-old.

"If they have their notebook or cell phone with them, you can be sure that we'll find them."

Drama in the Alps: mountain rescuers continue to search for the missing 24-year-old

However, it is very expensive to use.

On Wednesday, a helicopter with a so-called Recco buoy was able to fly over the Hochkalter near Ramsau near Berchtesgaden for the first time.

Semiconductors can be located using sonar.

The young man probably had a laptop with him in addition to a cell phone.

"It's expensive," said the mountain rescue spokesman, looking at the first find.

"Then you set down two people who dig in the snow and then it's a weather balloon.

There could be something else lying around."

Update from September 21, 11 a.m.:

The search for an injured mountaineer from Lower Saxony on the Hochkalter in the Berchtesgaden Alps continues.

On Wednesday, after the weather had improved, a helicopter with several mountain rescuers rose, said Rudi Fendt from the mountain rescue service.

The conditions are adverse because fresh snow has fallen again.

The snow is about one and a half meters high and there is no secure ground.

Hopes of finding the 24-year-old alive are dwindling.

Search for missing 24-year-old should continue – "We do not speculate about the chances of survival"

Update from September 21, 8:26 a.m .:

The search for a mountaineer who had an accident on the Hochkalter, which was canceled due to bad weather, should be continued on Wednesday morning.

Helicopter flights to search the area are quite likely, according to a spokesman for the mountain rescue service early in the morning.

The 24-year-old from Lower Saxony slipped on a mountain tour on Saturday and made an emergency call.

On Tuesday, persistent snowfall, strong winds and the risk of avalanches made it impossible for rescue teams to search for the man.

The mountain rescue team is also optimistic that they will be able to continue the search on Thursday.

The weather should be nice and the mountain clear of clouds up to the summit, said the spokesman.

The mountain rescue service then wants to use the so-called Recco buoy, which could locate semiconductors in electronic devices such as the 24-year-old's cell phone.

This is only possible when the fog has cleared.

According to the spokesman, the use of foot troops is not yet effective and, despite all safety measures, is risky due to the large amount of snow in the alpine terrain.

Rescue teams will only be sent out to rescue him and bring him down into the valley once the casualty has been located.

The mountain rescue service had the last contact with the casualty on Saturday, his emergency call had triggered a large-scale operation.

The spokesman did not provide any information on how he is doing now.

"We don't speculate about the chances of survival, hope always dies last on such missions."

Drama in the Alps: Search for missing 24-year-olds should continue on Wednesday – "Chances are decreasing from day to day"

Update from September 20, 4:51 p.m .:

The police mountain guide Jörg Fegg spoke to the

picture

about the search for the missing 24-year-old.

When asked if there was still hope for the climber, he replied: "The chances are getting smaller by the day.

It would be a miracle if he makes it.

But we won't give up until we have him.

It's also tragic for us when we can't do anything.

We just can't get there.

Rocks are icy, helicopter has no visibility.

There is a risk of avalanches.” The weather is not expected to improve enough for the search to continue until Wednesday.

By Thursday at the latest, a large rescue team and a Recco rescue buoy will continue to search the Hochkalter.

Rescuers hope the missing person has built a snow cave to protect himself from the wind

Update from September 20, 2:15 p.m

.: The fears of the morning seem to be confirmed: The weather is too life-threatening even for the experienced mountain rescuers to continue the search for the 24-year-old on Tuesday.

Persistent snowfall, strong winds, the risk of avalanches and terrain that is in danger of falling have made it impossible to search the Hochkalter on foot or by helicopter today.

"You can't move safely on the ground, there's snow on the bare ice, so every step has to be well thought out and well secured," said a spokesman for the BRK Berchtesgadener Land.

You could walk five meters past the young man without seeing him.

The only hope currently rests on the mountaineer from Lower Saxony being able to dig a snow cave to protect himself from the cold wind.

And that the weather might soon allow a helicopter flight so that the 24-year-old can be located.

A short search on Monday was unsuccessful: the 24-year-old was further missing

Update from September 20th, 8.30

a.m .: Early Monday evening, the rescue workers from the mountain rescue service finally had the weather window they had hoped for to start a new search.

As the BRK Berchtesgadener Land reports, the area was searched "on sight" with a police helicopter.

However, since the cloud line was still at 2,300 meters, below the area where the emergency services suspect the missing person, the Recco system could not be used - in order to locate cell phone semiconductors, the summit must be cloud-free.

A total of 19 mountain rescuers were on duty in the evening, including mountain rescue service guides who searched the Hochkalter on foot.

The helicopter and mountain rescuers were on site until 8.30 p.m. – then the search was stopped again due to the weather.

Missing on the mountain for 65 hours: Search unlikely on Tuesday

Bad weather is expected on Tuesday, September 20 - a search seems unlikely.

The mountain rescuers are expecting better weather conditions on Wednesday, which could allow drone and helicopter flights, according to the BRK press release.

It's supposed to be sunny on Thursday and the summit will be free of clouds.

Then an exact search is possible, also with the Recco system.

However, the hope of finding the 24-year-old alive by then seems infinitesimally small.

As of Tuesday morning, he has been on the mountain for about 65 hours.

On Monday evening, the weather conditions finally allowed the mountain rescuers to continue the search for the missing person by helicopter.

© Bavarian Red Cross / District Association Berchtesgadener Land

Update from September 19, 4:30 p.m

.: At the request of

merkur.de

, the press spokesman for the BRK announced that the mountain rescuers were still unable to start looking for the 24-year-old because the weather conditions did not allow it.

The hope is still that the weather will improve and that the search for the missing person can be resumed as soon as possible.

The 24-year-old has been missing on the Hochkalter for more than 48 hours.

Bad weather: Search for missing persons cannot continue on Monday

Update from September 19, 1 p.m

.: The search for the missing 24-year-old should have continued on Monday.

But like the Bavarian Red Cross at the request of

merkur

.

de

reports, this is “currently too risky and not very promising in steep, high-Alpine terrain where there is a risk of falling because of the large amount of fresh snow”.

During the night it snowed again, between half a meter and one and a half meters of snow remained.

The search for the 24-year-old was not continued on Monday – the terrain is too dangerous for mountain rescuers, partly because of fresh snow.

© Bavarian Red Cross / District Association Berchtesgadener Land

However, as soon as the weather improves, one is prepared to continue the search immediately, even at short notice - at least from the air.

It is also planned to use the so-called Recco system - this is a tool that hangs on a rope on the helicopter and helps to locate mobile phones.

First report from September 19

: Ramsau near Berchtesgaden – On Saturday, September 17, a 24-year-old vacationer from Lower Saxony had traveled to climb the Hochkalter in Berchtesgadener Land.

According to a press release from the Bavarian Red Cross, the young man set off on his tour despite the early onset of winter in the Alps.

He then made an emergency call around 3 p.m.

Dramatic search for 24-year-old: severe weather conditions

According to the climber who fell, he was at 2,400 meters and then slipped, injuring his head and breaking both arms.

He is in a fall-prone area and can no longer move.

He also doesn't know where exactly he is.

Around 4 p.m., "Christoph 14" managed to set down two mountain rescuers from Ramsau at the cloud base in the Ofental.

With snowfall and fog, they began their search.

In wintry weather conditions, a large contingent searched for a missing 24-year-old.

© Bavarian Red Cross / District Association Berchtesgadener Land

At 3:45 p.m., the rescue workers called the 24-year-old again.

He said he wasn't seriously injured, but was having trouble not falling further because of the icy and slippery terrain.

"Christoph 14" then flew four more mountain rescuers to the Ofental.

Mountain rescuers are also desperately looking for the missing person at night

Subsequently, "Christoph 14" was to be replaced by a more powerful transport helicopter in order to fly more mountain rescuers to search - but it was not used due to the bad weather.

Therefore, a Pinzgauer (a military vehicle for the toughest terrain) brought additional rescuers up the forest path as far as possible.

Around 7 p.m., the rescuers had telephone contact with the 24-year-old again.

He said he was cold and couldn't say where he was.

But the search for him continued to be extremely difficult.

In the worst possible weather conditions, the mountain rescuers would have "only a small chance of seeing or hearing the missing person, even just a few meters away," writes the BRK in its press release.

The darkness of the night and the snowfall made the search for the 24-year-old extremely difficult.

© Bavarian Red Cross / District Association Berchtesgadener Land

(By the way: Our Bayern newsletter informs you about all the important stories from Bavaria. Register here.)

Heavy search overnight - unsuccessful

After another phone call, the mountain rescuers were able to narrow down the location of the missing person a little better.

However, the weather conditions became so dangerous that the operations manager called back the mountain rescue team, which was at an altitude of 2,600 meters.

From another direction, from the Blaueishütte, another team continued the search.

Around 9 p.m., the crisis intervention team was in contact with the parents, who were making their way from Lower Saxony to Bavaria.

At 9:45 p.m., the rescuers had contact with the 24-year-old for the last time.

They encouraged him not to give up.

A thermal imaging drone then supported the mountain rescuers overnight.

But they had to call it quits around midnight.

The terrain is too dangerous in snow, ice, rain and fog.

They only reached the valley again at 3:30 a.m.

There the rescuers should rest for the search the next day.

Desperate search canceled on Sunday without result

At 6 a.m. on Sunday, September 18, rescue teams set out again to search for the 24-year-old.

The mountain rescuers decided "due to an estimated one meter of fresh snow on the ice, only to move out with avalanche emergency equipment and ice tools," according to the BRK.

The use of drones and helicopters continued to be severely restricted due to the weather.

In the course of the day, the search had to be interrupted due to the weather and because of the danger to life for the mountain rescuers.

In the evening the clouds broke up and "Chrisoph 14" started the next search for the missing person with the mountain rescue service.

Unfortunately, when night fell, it had to be aborted without result.

All news and stories from Bavaria can now also be found on our brand new Facebook page Merkur Bayern.

Source: merkur

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