Rescue workers train for emergencies at Partnach and Loisach

Created: 2023-01-10Updated: 2023-01-10 5:58 p.m

By: Andreas Seiler

Challenging missions at night: the police helicopter "Edelweiß 1" from Munich.

© BRK

This nocturnal operation caused a lot of speculation in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Water rescue service, BRK and police trained for emergencies.

A helicopter also made its rounds during the search for missing persons in Partnach and Loisach.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Monday evening in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: A police helicopter circles over the market town, throwing a bright searchlight on the Partnach and the shore area in the area between the clinic and the confluence with the Loisach.

Rescue vehicles thunder through the streets at night with blue lights flashing.

Speculation about what might have happened is rampant on Facebook.

Some are immediately reminded of the G7 summit last year, when the state of emergency prevailed in the district.

The answer is simple, as it later turns out: It is a large-scale exercise by the water rescue service, the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) and the police.

darkness and bad weather

The whole thing was deliberately not announced, reports trainer Manuel Achtner, in order to be able to play through the emergency as realistically as possible.

Even the alarmed, volunteer rescuers - there were around 35 in total - did not know in advance.

Only on their beepers did the addition "practice" appear.

Of course, the crew of the police helicopter "Edelweiß 1" from Munich was inaugurated.

The law enforcement officers had encouraged the demanding training, which took place between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Not only were the two pilots able to demonstrate their flying skills in the mountains, in the dark and in adverse weather conditions.

It was also about the cooperation of the organizations involved.

Two accidents were assumed: a search for missing persons in the said Partnach area and a jumper who had landed in the Loisach between Oberau and Eschenlohe.

Rescue workers, equipped with wetsuits, played the victims that had to be found.

Such searches are a challenge.

Because in the cold – the water temperature was only four to five degrees – every minute counts.

"The helicopter can search a large area in a short time"

The support provided by a helicopter – the crew was in radio contact with the helpers on the ground and was able to guide them to the scene of the accident – ​​proved to be extremely valuable.

"The helicopter can scan a large area in a short time," reports Achtner.

A thermal imaging camera was used.

In both cases, the "victims" were found after about 40 minutes - a peak time, as Achtner notes.

The patients could then be given first aid, taken out of the rough terrain and taken to the hospital.

Achtner, who is involved with the Krün water rescue service, is satisfied and draws a positive conclusion: "Everything worked smoothly.

The collaboration worked great.”

The only downside: The rivers are currently carrying hardly any water.

The deepest point was just 30 centimeters - "extraordinarily little," says Achtner.

If you think of a possible emergency in the event of flooding, the conditions in Partnach and Loisach would of course be much more severe.

In addition to the police helicopter, the lifeguards from Krün, Grainau, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Uffing, the medical operations management in the district and the BRK standby Garmisch were also present at the exercise.